Three Boys, Three Problems
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Three very different boys meet one another, each bringing their own problems upon another. Loaded in the Fairy Tale section due to upcoming supernatural activities. Rated T
1. Chapter 1: Mental Diaries

Once upon a time, an author was looking through some old comics she drew in her notebook... and then inspiration struck!

Three boys: Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny. They are all different.

Jimmy leads a hard life with a hardcore attitude, while Danny was raised in royalty, with a bored-streak.

Rudy was a weak boy, while Jimmy was tough. Danny wanted to be an average kid, and Jimmy wanted it all.

Rudy wanted a more exciting life. Danny wanted a normal life. Jimmy wanted a life other than the one he had now.

Three boys: Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny. What will happen when they all meet?

If this didn't catch your attention, nothing can!

* * *

Chapter One

**Jimmy's POV**

It's not MY fault my mom died from an internal illness, and I never met my father. It's not MY fault I was kicked out of one foster home after another because I was too tough to handle. It's not MY fault the cops threw me into an orphanage because of my attitude. It's not MY fault I ran away, lived on the streets of the slums, beat the shit out of anyone who got on my bad side (stealing any cash they had on them while I did), and had to live under the docks in a make-shift shack.

What, you don't believe me?! It's not MY fault I have a shitty life! It's my step-father's fault!

He never wanted any kids, but he married my mom anyway, despite she already had me, after her boyfriend-- my REAL dad-- disappeared. It bothered him that I was a illegitimate, but he let that slide... all because he was flat broke and needed the money, so he decided to mooch off my mom. Damn, I hated that guy!

I was GLAD some loan-sharks hounded him and shot him dead. I read about his murder in a newspaper, but the cops didn't know who did it. I did though, but I never said. I owed it to the thugs to killed him, they did me a favor-- they knocked off the asshole who abandoned me after my mom grew sick and died.

So, it's not my fault, you see? It's my step-dad's-- scratch that, my EX step-dad's fault that my mom and I had no money, and I ended up being a criminal.

But it's not all bad. I make a pretty good living shop-lighting, mugging a few nimrods for money, and if the weather gets too bad or the shit-shack I live in falls apart, I can always find an apartment lobby to crash in for the night... until the manager throws me out.

Today, I was on my usual shop-lifting spree: Grab a few snacks, some nice clothes, and stuff them all under my jacket and get out of there. Unfortunately, the clerk spotted me and called the cops.

...And now, I was running down the street, pursued by some bad-ass cops. "Get back here, you little shit!" One of them shouted at me.

I flipped him the bird. "Screw you!" I yelled back, turning the corner--

--Only to slam into another cop. "Well, well, well, if it ain't the local trouble-maker." He sneered, grabbing me and forcing me back on my feet. "C'mon, you piece of shit. You're going downtown."

"Ah, bite me!" I thrashed out of his grip, but he tackled me and cuffed me, then threw me into the back of the squad car. "Damn it."

Now, where I come from, they don't have a juvenile hall for kids like me. And I guess they got the hunch that I would probably burn down the orphanage if they sent me back there (not just because I yelled out the threat).

So, if you're wondering how I-- 14-year-old Jimmy Krook-- ended up in a large prison on the outskirts of town, now you know.

Little did I know that this wasn't any ordinary prison.

* * *

**Danny's POV**

I hate being royalty. Of all the dumb luck, my parents had to both come from two kingdoms, become betrothed, then have me. My name is Danny Charmm, and I hate being a prince.

Don't get me wrong. My parents are very kind to me, and the servants are very fun to have around (sometimes), and the palace we live in is large and beautiful, surrounded by gardens, with a large wall with a walkway on it... I hate that wall.

It keeps me from seeing the entire town. My parents, though very loving, are very protective of me, and won't let me out of our kingdom for ANYTHING. They hired special tutors so I wouldn't have to go to school; we have our own movie theatre, so I don't have to go to the one in town; we have our own arenas, courts, playgrounds, pool... everything! ...And I hate it all, because-- since everyone else is too busy and my parents won't let any commoners in-- I have to enjoy it by myself... which I don't.

So, every day, I stand on the balcony and stare out at the town, wondering what it must feel like for other kids who get to have a normal life, rather than go and try to 'enjoy' the spoils around me.

_It must be nice... _I thought to myself. Heaving a sigh and going into my over-luxurious room, I turned on my satellite TV, and the movie _Aladdin _came on. It was on the part where the princess in the movie was sick of having her life lived for her, and decided to run away.

"Daniel, dinner is served." One of the servants called to me.

"Alright, I'm coming," I called, turning off the TV, going downstairs to eat a dinner at a large table with my two parents, knowing that I'll be the most silent one at the table since I never have anything to talk about... since there's nothing for me to do.

Man, I hated my life. ...Of course, I wouldn't have said that if I knew what was in store for me.

* * *

**Rudy's POV**

I'm not like the other boys. I like watching classic Disney movies; I like baking with my mom; I like cute, furry animals; I like romantic novels, especially _Romeo and Juliet_; I like the color pink, and any color that relates to it; I like to slow dance...

...and I like boys. Yeah, I'm a homosexual, and I don't know how I got that way. And yeah, I'm the 'girly' type of homosexual, but I don't mind... especially when, since my hair is a little long and I don't have much of a boyish face (getting my looks from my mom), I kind of look more like a girl than a boy. But it doesn't bother me-- I like it.

There are only two things I don't like: my brother Chris and my sister Chrys. They're twins and three years older than me, and they take every opportunity to make my life feel like hell.

"Hello, little fag of a brother," Chris said to me one morning.

"How's it going, homo?" Chrys teased.

I hated it most when they teased me... and hurt me when Mom and Dad weren't around, and they said that if I squealed on them, they would beat the shit out of me until every inch of my body was black with bruises. I knew they would do it, too, so I kept my mouth shut.

Every time they beat me up, they give their excuse. "You're an embarrassment to the family," they would say. "Mom and Dad are ashamed of raising a gay retard like you! We're just doing them a favor, and punishing you for existing!" That's when I lock myself in my room and cry in my closet.

When they didn't tease me about being gay, they scared me into thinking our house was haunted, that a man was shot in our attic before we moved here, and his ghost lies in wait up in the room, waiting for someone to come up so he can possess them to get his revenge. I often heard creaking noises from it at night, so I believed them and never set a foot up there.

...Of course, that was when I was five, and I stopped believing in horror stories. After all, my life pretty much _was_ one with my older siblings tormenting me.

Until I found out there was more to it than just my siblings.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it-- Three different boys, three different lives, one huge adventure coming up. Reviews are welcome, flames will be stomped on and the flamers will be thrown off a cliff.


	2. Chapter 2: Switches, Runaways, and Cats

Okay, here's the next chapter, now that you know what kind of characters are in this story...

* * *

Chapter Two

Somewhere, far off the coast, on a small island in the middle of one of the seven seas, there's a town unlike any other. A town, on an island of enchantment... but no one on the island knows it.

The people on the island went about their lives in a normal fashion: going to work, heading to school, arguing with their spouses about dinner, being skeptic about the government, bums lying around on the curbs, cops chasing after some crook on the street...

...or transferring Jimmy Krook to the local prison. "Ah, c'mon! You can't do this to me!" the 14-year-old delinquent shouted. "I'm a minor! I can't go to prison!"

"You should have thought of that before you threatened to burn down the orphanage," One of the cops snapped, throwing Jimmy into the back of a truck with several other inmates. He then walked up to the driver. "Take 'em to Stone Wall, Mike."

The truck drove off down the dirt road, and Jimmy cursed under his breath. "Those guys take things way too literally."

* * *

On the classier side of the small island, there was a large, marble-white kingdom, where the King and Queen of the island lived with their teenage son, Danny...

...Who stood on top of the wall, glowering as one of the guards stood with him. "I ask to be alone, and they send a frickin guard with me," Danny muttered under his breath.

"Standing here with a moody brat like you is no picnic either, your _majesty_." The guard huffed, spitting out the word 'majesty' as if it were poison.

"Then why don't you leave me alone?"

"Because, unfortunately, your parents ordered me to watch you... They never said 'baby-sitting' was inquired to be a guard---"

"Oh, shut up already! (Sigh) Look, lets just go back in so I can be alone in my room."

"Sounds better than having to stand out here with you,"

Danny scoffed, rolling his eyes. This particular guard wasn't too fond of him, and the feeling between them was mutual. Once they reached his room, Danny shut and locked his door, then pulled a suitcase out from under his bed, double-checking to make sure he had everything.

Now, all he had to do was wait for sundown to come. He pulled out a videogame to pass the time, but time wouldn't seem to go by fast enough, even if he played it twenty times.

Which he did.

* * *

Between the slums of the east and the classiness of the west, there was a regular-classed town, where no one was too rich and the crime rate was very low.

...But the abuse was high and too much for Rudy. "Hello, friendless little gay brother," Chris, his older brother, said to him one afternoon, a mocking smile on his face.

"How's your non-existant life, fag?" Chrys, his older sister, said teasingly, pushing him off his chair and onto the floor.

"Guess what? We got news for you-- Mom and Dad are going away for the weekend!"

"They'll be leaving tomorrow morning. And that means..."

"You'll be spending some quality time with us!" The two red-head, freckle-faced twins said, grabbing Rudy by the shoulders and forcing him back into his chair, just as his parents entered the room. "Morning, Mom and Dad!"

"Morning, kids." Their mother, Mrs. Home, said. She paused, looking at Rudy. "Why, Rudy! How on earth did you get that black eye?!"

"I-I was turning around the corner at school and ran into the edge of a door." Rudy lied. The truth was, Chris had punched him after he 'took too long' in the bathroom. But he didn't tell them that, knowing what the twins would do to him if he did...

"It's swollen. Put some ice on it, okay sweetie?"

"Yes, Mom." Rudy walked over to the freezer and put the ice pack on his eye, the coldness stinging against the bruised area.

"Christopher, Chrystal, the Stefan twins called the other day. You're invited to their party this Saturday."

Chris and Chrys squealed with delight. They had been dying to get invited to that party... all the while beating Rudy as they waited for an invitation, so it was basically Rudy who was doing the _real_ dying (so to speak).

"Well, I've got to get to work," Mr. Home said, looking at his watch. He gave his wife a peck on the cheek and tussled Rudy's blonde, poofy hair. "I'll see you all tonight."

"Goodbye, Dad. Have a nice day at work!" The twins said in unison, smiling innocent smiles at their father as he nodded them farewell and walked out the door.

"I've got to run to the bank real quick, kids." Mrs. Home said, grabbing her purse. "I'll be back in five minutes." And she was out the door.

The twins dropped their sweet act, their smiles turning into sneers as their eyes flared with evil. Chrys grabbed Rudy by his shirt collar, pulling him into eye-contact. "You're lucky we don't beat you," she snarled. "If we haven't gotten invited to that party, we'd be forced to take out our disappointment on you." She dropped him. "But, we're invited-- and you're not-- and since you didn't rat us out about your eye, we won't hurt you. Now."

"But you'd better put some cover-up or something on your bruises." Chris said, glowering. "Because if Mom and Dad find out you've been getting hurt so much, they'll get suspicious," he cracked his knuckles. "Which would mean we'll have to do something to keep you quiet."

"R-Right, I-I'll put some cover up on next t-time, and save Mom and Dad the concern." Rudy stammered.

Chris chuckled. "I figured a homo like you would be willing to wear make-up." he slugged Rudy hard in the arm and walked out. "Faggot."

Chrys walked by and stuck her tongue out at him as she followed her twin brother out of the room. Rudy stood up and walked outside, climbed on his bike, and rode away from his house, trying to keep tears from falling on his face.

* * *

The truck had stopped at a rest station for gas, and the prisoners were allowed five minutes for a restroom break. None of them had to go, except Jimmy--- or so he said.

The guard stood outside the restroom door, waiting for Jimmy to hurry up. The five minutes had passed, and he knocked on the door. "Alright, kid, time to go." he said.

No reply.

He banged on the door. "C'mon, kid! We've got a tight schedule! Get your ass off the toilet and lets go!"

Still no reply... but there was a crash.

Finally, the guard fetched an employee and had them unlock the door. He stormed into the room. "Alright, you little runt, what---" He paused, seeing that a window in the room-- placed high up near the ceiling-- had been broken. "Shit."

He ran outside, telling the guards that the fugitive escaped... not realizing that Jimmy had been hiding in a cabinet under the sink. He waited silently, until he heard the truck engine start and speed off, the guards driving off to look for him, no doubt.

He then climbed out from his hiding place, unwrapping his jacket off of his fist that he used to break the window. It was tough jumping up and hitting the glass, but he managed it. He had done tougher things, anyway.

Peeking out the door, seeing that no staff was around (possibly outside scouting the area) he rushed outside, heading toward the woods across the street---

"Gotcha! Didn't think we'd catch ya, did you?" A gruff voice said as a couple hands grabbed Jimmy's shoulders and through him to the ground, pinning him down and grabbing his arms to cuff his hands. "You're heading to Pent Towers, Roscoe."

"Roscoe?! My name ain't Roscoe, you dumbass!" Jimmy snapped, but was thrown into the back of a truck, anyway.

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of France." The guard shut the heavy steel doors.

Jimmy looked around, noticing he was in a different truck, no windows or anything. Just cold steel surrounding him. _What's going on? Why do they think I'm some other criminal? And what the heck is Pent Towers? _the delinquent wondered, slumping down on the cold floor.

Running a hand through his thick, stuck-up greasy brown hair, he sighed. "This day just keeps getting better and better," he muttered sarcastically.

Meanwhile outside, a man with thick, stuck-up greasy brown hair, wearing a brown jacket similar to Jimmy's, stumbled out of the bushes. "Hee hee! Those suckers got the wrong guy!" he chuckled, then hopped up and down gleefully. "I'm free! I'm free---"

"GOTCHA!!" Several guards-- the guards who were after Jimmy-- cried as they jumped the man, mistaking him for Jerry and cuffing him, throwing him back into their truck-- not noticing the fact that he was a foot taller than their real criminal.

The man hung his head, snapping his fingers. "Damn it. So close."

* * *

Supper had gone by silently, except for Danny's parents talking. Finally, he excused himself and walked back up to his room. He looked around at all the pictures of him and his parents, when he was younger and didn't mind his parents keeping him inside. He sighed, feeling ashamed that he was so naive.

The sun was down and only three guards patrolled the west wall. Danny grabbed his suitcase and grabbed his bed sheets-- which he had tied together during his boredom-- and tied one end to the balcony railing. He dropped his suitcase down, it landed in the bushes.

He then began to swing one leg over, until he heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Daniel?" came his mother's voice. "Might I speak with you, a moment?"

"Uh, yes, just a moment!" Danny called back, quickly pulling the sheets back up and running back into his room, shutting the balcony doors behind him. He opened his bedroom door. "Yes, mother?"

"Daniel, your father and I have been talking, and... Well, we cannot stand to keep you locked up in the kingdom anymore. You need to see new places, we have decided. You are growing up so fast, and... well, it would be hazardous to your physical being to not let you see the town."

Danny's jaw almost dropped. Was this his mother, or was he just having a hallucination? "W-What...?"

"We have decided to let you go out on your own... but you must go quickly. Tonight."

"Um... why tonight?" ...Is it getting ironic in the room, or is it just me?

"Just go, quickly. Be out of the castle before midnight. There is a hidden door behind the rose-trellis in the garden you can sneak out through."

"Sneak out... Mother, what is going on?"

Tears began to stream down her eyes. "Daniel, you must leave. Do not tell us where you are going, just... just run away. Here," she handed him some money. "Go buy yourself some normal children's clothes, and do not tell anyone-- and I mean ANYone that you are a prince."

"Mom...?"

"Wherever you go, remember that we love you, alright?" She placed a kiss on his cheek and walked out of the room. "Hurry, Daniel, and go!" She slammed the door shut and he heard her lock it.

The urgency in her voice was enough to convince Danny that this was the perfect opportunity to run away. He quickly tossed the sheets back down, practically slid down them, grabbed his suitcase, and ran through the garden toward the rose trellis, finding a door behind it and slipping out into a short tunnel, pushing open yet another hidden door that lead to the outside.

As he ran, he began to slow down until he finally stopped and looked back at the castle. Why did his mother want him to leave so badly? Obviously, something was going on, and he decided to investigate, and he began walking back toward the kingdom...

* * *

There was a small hill outside the neighborhood, where a large, tall tree stood with a tire-swing tied to its bottom branch. Rudy loved going to that hill-- it was the one place where neither of the twins knew he went...

...Which was why he would go through several detours-- alleys, parking lots, bank drive-throush, etc.-- to keep them off his trail, in case they followed him. And that was why he was always exhausted by the time he reached the top of it.

The view was worth it, though. The sunlight glittered on the rapids in the small river that stretched through the long, green field, and a large chunk of rock-- as big as a mountain with a flat edge and small, stone path-- sat on the opposite side.

Rudy always wanted to cross the river and climb that mountain, or even explore the forest beyond it, but there was one little problem: he couldn't swim. He had signed up for swim lessons, but he never went, due to the bruises on his back he got from the twins, and the local pool had a "No Shirts in the Pool" policy, so he never went.

And he regretted being too chicken to show his bruises-- no, to tell someone his siblings were abusing him-- and he hated the twins for preventing him from learning something useful.

He hated them with a passion. He climbed onto a branch of the tree, looking over the beautiful scenery to help clear his mind, but rage and fear stuck with him. His eyes looked on toward the forest, and a large white castle so far in the distance, he had to strain his eyes to see a mere blur of it.

"I wonder if that's the castle Cinderella lived in," he wondered out loud, now that he was on his own.

"Possibly, but never proven," A voice said above him.

Rudy gasped, looking upward and expecting to see someone up in the tree, but all he saw was a cat. "Hello, did you talk to me?" he asked the cat, kiddingly.

"Mew." The small cat replied, then hopped off the branch and onto his lap. "That was 'cat-anese' for, 'Duh'."

Rudy's eyes widened. "Wow, a talking cat! ...I thought things like that only existed on TV or in stories."

"Depends whether you believe what you see on TV or not."

"What is your name?"

"I have none."

Rudy stroked the cat's back, then paused, noticing a glow over the area his hand hovered over. "You're glowing!" he realized. "Why? How?"

"I was near a nuclear plant one day, and some radiation got on me."

Rudy's eyes widened in fight and he cringed away.

"Gotcha there, didn't I? ...No, a couple of foolish boys found some glow-in-the-dark paint and decided to have a little fun and gave me a makeover, making everyone think I was a specter-cat."

"Specter?"

"You know, specter-- a ghost, phantom, spirit... Anyway, now this paint's stuck on me. I would wash it off in the river, but I hate getting wet. Plus, it would pollute... and the water stinks, anyway."

"I could take you back to my house and clean you---" Rudy stopped himself, remembering Chrys and Chris-- what would they do to the cat if he brought it home... or worse, if they found out it could talk?

"You seem worried about something. What is it?"

"What makes you think I'm worried about something?"

"Dude, I'm an animal. Animals can sense emotions. Don't think that, just because I can speak, that I don't have the instincts of the other cats around here."

"Oh, I don't think that! It's just... well, I have these two older siblings who--- wait, why am I talking to you? You're a cat! I must look crazy right now!"

"True, you might, but only if someone saw you, but as you can see, it's just you and me in this field, and though I am a cat, I am a cat who can talk... and listen." The cat curled up on his lap. "Now, tell me your problem."

"I... I can't. It's too personal."

"I won't tell anyone. No one would want to listen to me, anyway."

"Who wouldn't want to listen to a talking cat?"

"People who think they're high, drunk, hearing things, or are easily shocked by something supernatural. I only talk to those who remain calm and listen, like you. ...Now, spill it. What's the matter?"

Rudy took a deep breath, then told the cat his life story on how-- ever since he was little-- the twins would beat him up. "They never give a good reason. They just do it whenever they're mad or bored."

"That sounds like sibling abuse. Why don't you tell your parents."

"Because Chris and/or Chrys would kill me-- and I mean really kill me-- if they found out I squealed."

"Not if your parents had a say in it. They have the highest authority in your household, and I doubt they would take kindly to those twin devils beating you up without a cause."

Rudy sighed. "I'm just too scared."

"You should learn to face your fears, if you want the pain to stop. ...Now, you said you would offer to clean this paint off me?"

"Yeah... but Chr--"

"Forget about what they'd say or do. Besides, if they try anything, I'll just talk at them and scare the crap out of them. They'd be so baffled and frightened, they won't harm you-- let alone speak complete sentences-- for a week. Now, come along."

They climbed down the tree, and the sun was beginning to set, making the cat's fur glow brighter. "By the way-- and excuse me for sounding so personal-- are you a boy or a girl?"

The cat chuckled. "I was wondering the same about you. I'm a girl."

_Great, even a cat can't tell my gender, _Rudy thought. "I'm a boy. My name's Rudy."

"Charming name." She climbed onto the seat of his bike as he began walking it down the hill.

"You mind if I gave you a name?"

"Depends-- what is it?"

"Radio. It's short for 'radioactivity'. Plus, you talk..."

"Eh, it beats 'Fluffy' or 'Boots' or every other degrading cat-name five-year-old girls call their cats."

It had gotten darker, and Radio glowed brighter. "Hang on," Rudy took off his shirt and covered Radio with it. "That way we won't draw attention."

"Smart lad. Good thinking, Rudolph."

"Just call me 'Rudy'-- _please_."

* * *

A/N: What secret is Danny's mom keeping from him? What kind of prison is Jimmy heading to? And what mishap with Rudy get into with Radio? Please R/R Flames glow prettifully, but suck.


	3. Chapter 3: Tragedy

New Chapter: -has arrived-

Readers: =D

Me: Lets get this story on!

Reviewer Thanks

savethemadscientist: (love the name) I'm glad you like the transition from character POV to narrative POV. Thank you :)

starspring: Don't get ahead of yourself! lol jk trust me, it's going to be a LOT lower than that

* * *

The drive to Pent Towers was long and quiet... the kind of car ride Jimmy didn't like. They were too suspenseful, too intense... they made him think about things, and he didn't like to think about certain things.

His childhood being one of them. He thought about his mom... how she always smiled at him, how her brown hair-- the same brown his hair was-- shined in the light, how her golden-copper eyes twinkled with delight. She always looked happy, and would unleash her feeling on him, embracing him with a hug...

Then Rupert came along, and her smile became a rare thing. He had a drinking streak, and always 'borrowed'-- no, steal-- money from his mom, and sometimes when she wouldn't hand it over, he would threaten to hit her. Jimmy could tell this every time Rupert raised his hand at his mom and she flinched. _Why did she hook up with such an asshole? _he wondered, and clenched his fist at that one night...

...That night when he kicked-- and bit-- Rupert in the leg when he hit his mom, and in response the man grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the ground, using his leather-belt to whip him-- and he ripped off his shirt, leaving several lashes across his bare back. Jimmy had blacked out-- being only seven at the time-- and came to several hours later, cradled in his mother's arms and seeing her crying and whispering the words: 'Never again... he'll never hurt you again...'. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry.

Rupert never laid another hand on them again since that night, fearing that he might be turned in for spouse-and-child abuse. Jimmy knew this quite well-- he had Rupert read like a book. He always knew what he meant, what he was up to, and when he said or did something terrible to his mother. He hated that man, and he hated him back, and they showed it by glowering or yelling at each other.

Jimmy sighed, trying to forget the memory. He never cried when Rupert did something to him or his mother-- crying never helped, anyway... besides, he got enough tears from his mother. He never cried then, and he never cried to this day.

The truck stopped and the doors opened. "Welcome to your new home," One of the officers joked, pulling him out and dragging him up to a large building... which looked more like an old victorian house than a jail.

"I thought this was a prison, not the Adams' Family residence," Jimmy scoffed.

"I'd shut up if I were you," The other officer said, and though his voice was firm, it still trembled a bit... from fear?

The front door opened, and the officers quickly threw him through the doorway, then turned and ran off. Jimmy looked over his shoulder to see what the rush was, but the doors slammed shut behind him... all by himself. "What the heck...?"

"Another newbie, eh?" A voice said from in front of Jimmy.

"Yep... a queer-looking one at that, I must add." Another voice-- with an English accent-- said.

"Who ya calling a queer---" Jimmy snapped, facing the direction of the voices, but he paused, gaping at shock at the two 'guards'.

They were two, living, marble-white statues, holding spears. "Come with us, son." The first statue said, and they both grabbed Jimmy, who tried to run, but could not squirm out of their stone-strong grip.

* * *

When Rudy arrived home, it was already dark out. "Mom's going to be pretty worried." he said to namely himself.

"I'd be worried too if my kid was out late," Radio said, startling the boy. He had forgotten he had a glowing, talking cat with him.

"Yeah, and Dad will probably--- Oh crap, Dad! If he sees you, he'll be furious!"

"Why? Does he hate cats?"

"No... well, sort of. He's allergic to them."

"Oh, that's dandy to hear _now_."

Rudy looked over to the garage. "Don't worry, I've got an idea of getting you clean without having to take you inside." He carried Radio-- keeping his shirt wrapped around her-- over to the garage, grabbing a full gasoline jug and a rag.

"What is that for?"

"Gasoline. It'll help get the paint off."

"It smells funny. I don't like smelling funny."

"Would you rather go around looking like a night-light? Besides, I'll hose off the gasoline when the paint's off."

"Oh, great. I'm going to get wet, too."

"Just hold still."

Soaking the rag in gasoline, Rudy began wiping the glowing paint off, careful not to get any in her eyes or mouth when he got to her face. Radio held her breath and shut her eyes (and mouth) tight, trying to ignore the wet, tingling feeling the rag left when it rubbed against her fur. She let out a screech when Rudy rubbed it underneath on her belly, running a short distance from him, then walking back, feeling embarrassed. "S-sorry, force of habit."

"Don't worry, I'll try to be more gentle." Rudy continued to rub the rag on her belly, stroking her head with his free hand. "It's okay, we're almost done."

"Hopefully..."

Finally, the paint was off, and the gasoline had also dimmed it's glow, so it wasn't so bright on the cloth. Rudy then grabbed the hose, turned on the water and held on to Radio. "Now, hold still, okay? I'm just going to douse you a bit. ...And please don't scratch me."

"I'll try not to."

Once the water hit her fur, the cat dug her claws into Rudy's arm, and he winced but did not snap at the cat, but kept spilling water on her. She grew use to the cold feeling of the water and retracted her claws, and Rudy used his other hand as a scrub to wipe off all the gasoline.

"There, done." Rudy said, turning off the hose.

"Thank God." Radio sighed, shaking her fur dry.

"If there's any gasoline still on you, just---"

"Rudy, are you out here?" Mrs. Home called, stepping outside.

"Uh, oh. Hide!"

"On it!" Radio said, diving into the bushes.

Mrs. Homes came around the corner, finding her son. "Rudy, where have you been all day? ...And why do you have the garden hose... and not wearing a shirt??"

"Oh, I was uh..." Rudy said hesitantly, trying to think up a good excuse. "You see, I was just um... cleaning my shirt?"

_Oh, brother. This kid couldn't lie if he was in a bed! _Radio thought, then walked out of the bushes. "Mew." she said.

"Oh, my gosh!" Mrs. Homes gasped, looking at the doused cat. "Rudy, what did you---" she looked down at the gasoline jug. "Why is the gasoline jug out?!"

"Mom, let me explain. I was on a bike ride, and these kids spilled paint on this cat, and I decided to bring her home and get the paint off her." Rudy said, quickly. "I didn't tell you, because Dad's allergic to cats and---"

"Alright, Rudy, alright. I believe you. But next time, tell me okay?" she picked up Radio. "Just look at this poor little thing. She looked like a drowned rat!"

"I resent tha--- er, meow." Radio said.

"C'mon, we'll take her inside and have her dried. ...One more thing, Rudy-- why did you take off your shirt?"

"Um, it had cat hair on it!" Rudy replied quickly, holding up his shirt... which actually _did_ have cat hair on it.

"Well, throw it in your laundry basket and I'll wash it myself. ...I don't think the hose will get it very clean." She chuckled, and Rudy let out a small laugh.

_That was TOO close. _he thought.

As they carried Radio up the stairs, they passed by the twins, who shot them a confused look, and he heard Chris whisper to Chrys: "Ten bucks he slept with a dude," and they snickered.

Radio jumped out of Mrs. Home's arms, ran up to the twins, and hissed wildly at them, then turned and leaped back into Rudy's arms. The twins stared at the cat in shock as she glared at them over Rudy's shoulder as he carried her to the bathroom.

"Thanks, Radio," he whispered to the cat.

"Anytime, Rudy," she whispered back.

* * *

Danny was no more than five steps away from the castle when he heard the scream. Soon, he was bolting toward the castle, running through the secret passage, through the garden, and right through the door.

He stopped dead in his tracks, looking down the hall at a man with blonde hair, a black handle-bar mustache, wearing a snazzy suit... who was pointing his gun at his mother, who was knelt beside his father's body, lying on the ground motionless.

*BANG!*

Now, both of his parents were on the ground, dead. Danny tried to scream, but no sound came out... not a single gasp. He just stood there, paralyzed with fear.

"Daniel!" A voice whispered, and a hand grabbed the young prince and pulled him down a different hall, out of sight from the man. It was one of the guards-- the guard he was not fond of.

"Belvario, what's going on?" Danny asked, his voice in a whisper.

"Jacques has become homicidal. You must get out of here while you still can!"

"Homicidal... but why?"

"I don't know. He's either after the throne, your father blackmailed him, or he just hates your family. Whatever the reason, you must get out of here, now!" He pulled Danny along and pulled him outside, practically throwing him out. "Hurry, go!"

Danny didn't hesitate. He ran out through the secret passage, and got as far away from the castle as possible, tears falling from his eyes. "Mom... Dad..." he sobbed, looking back once...

...Seeing a helicopter take off...

...and an explosion erupt in the tower where his room was located, and the entire castle was engulfed in flames.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Danny screamed, falling to his knees and staring tear-eyed at the scene. His home... his family... was destroyed. He covered his face with his hands and bawled, as the rain began to pour.

He heard the sound of a helicopter, and he saw a light shine on him. He quickly ran out of the light and into the darkness of the woods, trying to avoid being caught alive. He reached the edge of a cliff, seeing the rapids flowing wildly. Thunder clapped and he saw the helicopter's light coming near him.

Lightening struck.

The light hit him.

*Bang!*

He jumped off the cliff, barely dodging the bullet.

He hit the water.

Jacques watched him fall, a grin spreading across his face. "Should we wait for him at the end of the river?" his accomplice asked.

"No. Those violent rapeeds will tear him to shreds-a." Jacques said. "He iz as good as dead."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Just thought I'd leave you off feeling suspense'd. X3 R/R, no flames... we've got enough in the castle.


	4. Chapter 4: After the first suspense

And……………………………….......... Here's a new chapter. Enjoy! ….(dark glare) Or else.

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: You're welcome, and now, here's some info for what happens next!

* * *

Chapter Four

Rudy put on a clean shirt after helping his mom clean Radio. "Alright, Rudy, put her back outside now." Mrs. Homes replied after she towel-dried the cat.

"Aw, mom, can't we keep her?" Rudy asked pathetically, even though-- with his father's allergies to cats-- the answer would be…

"No,"

"Eh, didn't hurt to ask." He picked up Radio and walked out of the bathroom. The twins shot him an evil glare, but he ignored them… especially when he saw that Radio was glaring back for him.

"Thank you for your assistance." Radio said to him once he set her outside. "If there is anything you need-- a favor, request, help-- I will be close."

"Hey, it was no trouble." Rudy stroked her head, making her purr. "I like helping out others in need."

"As do I. Until we meet again, Rudolph." And Radio turned and ran off into the night.

"Just call me 'Rudy', please!"

"Talking to your furry friend?" Chris' voice said from behind.

Chrys appeared beside Rudy and shut the door. "You won't be seeing your snotty little pet again, will you faggot?" she teased, and she and Chris began circling around their little brother.

"Yeah, too bad Dad's allergic to cats… then she could have stayed, and you'd actually _have_ a friend. For once."

"Sh-she'll be back…" Rudy said. The twins laughed at this.

"Why? Did she tell you that?" Chrys scoffed.

"Yeah, did you learn how to speak cat?" Chris teased.

Chrys stopped, arching an eyebrow at her twin. "Dude… that was pathetic. I mean, 'did you learn how to speak cat'?! C'mon! That was the lamest thing I've ever heard! Surely you can do better."

Chris blushed. "Um… Well, I uh…" he then grabbed Rudy by the shirt collar. "Did you have to do something that was hard to torment you about?! …Hey, wait, I could crack another bestiality joke again!"

Chrys pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Man, you know the rules of torment! 'Never crack the same joke twice'! Ugh, forget it. You're trying too hard." she began to walk off.

Chris dropped Rudy. "W-wait, Chrystal! What if I---"

"Call me when you get your insulting-touch back." And she walked into her room, shutting the door and locking it.

"Oh, man…" Chris groaned, putting his face in his hands.

Rudy, though he hated his siblings, couldn't stand to see one of them in a disappointing position. "Um, if it helps you Chris, I found the term quite offensive…" he said, sympathetically.

Chris punched him in the ribs. "You shut up! I don't need your frickin' opinion." he started walking down the hall to his room. "I gotta come up with a different remark…"

Rudy massaged his ribs, standing up. _Well, at least Chrys is too ticked off at Chris to do anything, and Chris will probably be busy to make a nasty comment to please Chrys… I might get a break from them tonight! _he thought happily, skipping to his room with a smile on his face, heading to his room to enjoy some solitude.

* * *

"Do you see him anywhere, Larry?" Jacques asked his minion, standing by the edge of the cliff where he last saw the young prince, watching as some of his allies walked along the banks of the river in search for clues. The mastermind had no doubt that he was dead… but after careful considerations, he knew he couldn't take a chance, and arranged a search party for the youth after the rain storm cleared.

"Not a trace of him, sir." Larry replied, exhausted from an hour of searching. "I think you were right earlier… I think he's dead."

" 'Thinking' iz not as good as 'knowing'," Jacques looked coldly at his minion. "Until we are sure the young prince iz dead, keep up with the search!"

"Yes sir." Larry turned and walked off… wishing he had listened to his mother and became a lawyer, rather than someone's lacky.

Jacques stared into the night sky, still seeing traces of smoke covering the sky and blending into the dark, gray clouds. He had killed a royal family and had no remorse for it… after all, his family should have had the thrown in the first place, if that woman hadn't took off into the woods that one day, making his own mother chase her down only to run into the arms of death… then his stupid step-sister just _had_ to find the love of her life and take over the kingdom before he had a chance to! _He _would have become king and be in power if his mother wasn't so vain…

"Sir, we've found something, sir!" Larry called from down below, breaking Jacques thoughts.

The mastermind walked down a muddy path-- feeling fortunate that he had worn a good pair of hiking boots for the occasion-- and met his minions by the river, and an evil grin spread across his face when he saw a mud-covered, soaking-wet backpack with broken straps on the ground, and from the way it was torn up, the river must have been violently-- if not fatally-- rapid during the storm. It meant only one thing-- Danny was dead.

"It seems that Daniel's death iz plausible." Jacques said with a smirk. "And if there iz a slim chance of his survival, he won't be able to survive in the wilderness without his provisions."

"And the hyperthermia from his soak might kill him, too!" One of the other minions cracked, chuckling and slapping his knee. The rest rolled their eyes.

"Come, let us go. …I have a throne to take over."

The night never seemed more darker.

* * *

The inside of Pent Towers looked like the inside of a mansion-- red carpets in the lobby and hall; a large chandelier hanging above; there were railings along the hallways on each floor, making it easy to see them all; and there were luxurious couches and chairs here and there… It would have been gorgeous if not for the long line of steel cell doors, with tiny rectangular barred windows on each and white-marble statue guards on either side of the doors, and the snarling and screeching sounds that came from each prisoner.

Jimmy had never felt more creeped out in his entire life. As the two stone guards walked him up a flight of stairs and down the first hallway, he looked over the railing down to the lobby, where he saw many stone guards… and a few other creatures wearing brown uniforms with star-shaped patches on the left side of the shirt's chest: some looked like people with animal ears, paws, and tails-- Furries; some were all blue and bulging with muscles, having long hair on their heads-- Kretins; and some that looked human, until they turned invisible or walked through walls-- Phantoms. _Where the heck am I?! _Jimmy wondered.

"Keep moving, kid!" One of the statue-guards ordered, shoving Jimmy ahead when he stopped walking. This time, he dared not try to fight back… and let out a yelp when a dark-skinned girl, maybe at least 10 years old with long black hair, wearing a pink knitted stocking cap and short-sleeved, long nightshirt, materialized in front of him.

"Hello Ross, hello Geoff." the little ghost-girl said cheerfully. "What's going on today?"

"Nothing much, Lilly," the first statue replied, friendly-like. "Just escorting another prisoner to his cell."

Lilly leaned in close, floating a little until she was face-to-face with Jimmy. "Ooh, he's cute!"

Jimmy sneered. _Oh, great. First I'm sent to some whacked-out monster-prison, and now some dead girl is hitting on me! _he thought bitterly.

"Let's go, kid," The second statue said, pushing Jimmy along-- right through Lilly. It sent a chill through him, as if he walked through a cold gust of wind.

"So, is he going to share a cell with someone?" Lilly asked, walking on air next to the guards.

"Yeah, the only one strong enough to hold a felon like him," The first guard replied.

Lilly gasped. "You mean… Cell 456?!"

"That's the one." The second guard replied, and they stopped at an elevator.

Lilly turned to Jimmy, shaking her head in pity. "Boy, I'd be scared sick if I were you!"

"Yeah? What's so scary about some dumb cell?" Jimmy scoffed… thought, from the roars coming from a cell from the hallway far across the railing, he felt that was a stupid question to ask in a place like this.

"You'll see… after you meet Silver."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow. The guards shoved him into the elevator, but he quickly turned and faced Lilly, who stood outside in the hall. "Who-- or _what_-- the heck is Silver?"

Lilly said nothing, just smiled and waved to Jimmy as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

_The rain poured hard, each drop practically trying to drill itself into the earth's soil… or into Danny's back as he fell._

_Coldness stung his skin when he hit the rapids, and the force of the waves violently tossed him through the river, making him hit a rock every few seconds. 'If I don't get in control with my maneuvering soon, I'm going to drown and die!' the young prince thought._

_He turned his body so that it was horizontal in the water, but his backpack snagged between two rocks. He tugged and pulled, desperately trying to free himself. Finally, after one strong pull, the straps broke and he shot off down the river._

_It wasn't too long before the cold got to him, and his arms and legs began to grow numb. 'Keep moving,' he told himself. 'If you stop now, you'll freeze to death for sure!'_

_But he was growing tired, and water kept splashing into his eyes and blurring his vision-- he had no idea where this river was leading him. Yet he kept swimming-- he had to find help, he had to report Jacques, he had to do what he couldn't do for his parents: save himself._

_The water became choppier and the waves thrashed more violently, throwing Danny around and slamming him into a rock. He hit his head and blacked out, unable to steer himself away from the waterfall…_

* * *

Rudy got up early that morning to bid his parents farewell. The twins were undoubtedly sleeping in. "Bye, Mom. Bye Dad. Have a safe trip," The 14-year-old boy said to his parents, giving them both a hug.

"Thank you, Rudy. We'll see you Monday." Mrs. Homes said, giving her son a peck on the cheek and getting into the car.

"Remember, don't go anywhere without telling Chris or Chrys," Mr. Homes said, then tussled his son's hair. "Try not to burn the place down, okay?"

"Will do." Rudy chuckled. His parents climbed into their car and pulled out of the driveway, honking 'goodbye' to their son as he waved at them.

"Parents going on a trip?" A voice asked from beside Rudy, making him yelp and jump. He looked down and saw Radio.

"Yeah, only for a couple days. Two… long… _agonizing_ days…"

The silver cat rubbed against his leg in comfort. "Ah, don't worry. The weekend has arrived, and I'm sure your evil siblings have much to do rather than waste their time harming you." she stuck out her claws, then retracted them to make a fist. "Which would be a dire mistake for them to make around me."

Rudy knelt down and rubbed her ear. "Thanks for your support. But I think you're right-- there's a party going on tomorrow, and Chris and Chrys will be spending the whole day getting ready for it: Chris will be calling up girls looking for a date, and Chrys will be spending the entire day at the mall looking for an outfit to wear."

"You must know them well to know their plans."

He shrugged. "Going to parties is something they live for, and this is the biggest party of the year--- at least, that's what they keep saying." He climbed on his bike, ready to take a morning ride and catch the sunrise.

Radio hopped onto his handlebars, hanging on as the bike began to gain speed. "Are you going to the party?"

Rudy sighed and shook his head. "No… only the _cool_ kids can go."

Radio scoffed. "And you doubt yourself of being cool?"

"Well, I wasn't invited, and the twins would _kill_ me if I crashed it. Besides, I'm only 14, and it's namely for the Sophomore-through-Senior classes. No freshmen allowed."

"Is that what your siblings told you?"

"No, the whole Senior Student Body made it clear on Wednesday. If a freshmen were to go, they would have to be really, _really_ cool."

"Well… that's a problem for you, isn't it? Especially with your issue on your social ranking and lack of confidence in your image. There is only one thing to do to fix that."

"What's that?"

"Easy: A change of clothes, a nice haircut, and a boost in confidence. Mix them all together and you've got yourself a cool identity."

"Yeah, but there's one problem: I don't have the money for new clothes or a hairdo, and it's hard to have confidence with the twins-- and every other kid in High School-- making fun of me for being a…" he was about to say 'homosexual', but stopped himself.

"Being a what?"

"A… freak."

Radio scoffed and rolled her green eyes. "Now, don't think for one minute that you are a freak, Rudolph. …And you know what, if those kids think you are such, then maybe you shouldn't plan to go."

"I wasn't planning to go-- you tried to convince me to! …And, seriously, just call me 'Rudy'."

Radio paused and rubbed the back of her neck. "So I did… Well, forget about what I said. Parties aren't always as fun as they seem, anyway."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't want to be at the same party as Chris and Chrys anyway---"

Radio then looked ahead and gasped. "Rudolph! Stop!"

Rudy slammed on the brakes, his bike twisting at an angle as he slid. Radio fell off, but was unharmed. They had reached the field with the large hill…

…and lying on the riverbank was a boy with raven-black hair, wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt and matching pants, and he was unconscious.

* * *

Cell 456 was located on the top hallway to the left, and was the most silent of all the cells. Jimmy could tell right away that this was a bad sign, especially when two Kretins-- one with red hair and the other with brown hair-- were standing on either side of the door, holding cattle-prods.

Not all the guards Jimmy saw had that kind of equipment. _This Silver-thing must be one tough son of a bitch. _he thought.

The two statue-guards left him in the hands of the Kretin-guards, and they removed his handcuffs and threw him into the cell, slamming the door shut and locking it (duh). "Welcome to your new home, runt." The red-headed Kretin said teasingly through the barred window, then said to his partner. "Man, I feel sorry for THAT kid."

Jimmy made a small gulp. What kind of… _thing_ was he going to deal with? He looked around his cell. There was a single, square, barred window on the wall across the room, showing the darkness of the morning outside. The room-- unlike the rest of the mansion-- was nothing but bare, cement brick, from floor to ceiling, and a few chains-and-cuffs on the left and right walls. And it was _freezing!_

A chain rattled, and Jimmy froze, turning slowly to the left… and did something he thought he'd never do, not even when Rupert slapped his mother: he screamed.

Staring at him with large yellow eyes, ankles locked onto a long chain attached to the wall, was the biggest, meanest, most terrifying-looking creature Jimmy saw. It had dark, black fur, sharp claws, a long bushy tail, pointed ears, a long snout with long, sharp teeth attached to the muzzle, and had ripped biceps underneath all its fur.

Jimmy fell back in fear when the werewolf lunged at him, jaws open---

* * *

Suspense: I have returned!

A/N: Alright, hope you enjoyed this chapter! More coming up next, so please review! …And if you value the life of your grandmother's cat's catnip toy, I'd suggest you hold back on the flames. Don't think I'm joking, buster!


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting Silver

Okay, I hope I didn't give anyone a heart-attack with that last chapter… no one's reviewed, so-- crap, I hope not.

* * *

Chapter Five

The chain yanked back the werewolf, making it yelp. It reminded Jimmy of that Looney Tunes episode where Foghorn Leghorn would harass that hound making him chase the rooster, until his leash pulled him back and choked him. It was pretty funny, but Jimmy was too horrified to laugh.

"Where the heck am I?!" Jimmy yelled demandingly, fear in his voice.

"You're in Pent Towers, you little dumbass. Where did you think?" A gruff voice scoffed, and it didn't take Jimmy more than three seconds to realize it came from the werewolf. He gasped, backing away from the creature.

"Y-you t-talk…"

"Duh! _All_ mystical creatures talk, dip-shit."

"M-mystical…?" Jimmy ran to the door, up to the barred window. "H-hey! You gotta let me outta here! There's been some _huge_ mistake!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they _all_ say," The kretin with red hair said, sneering.

"No, seriously! You've got the wrong guy! I'm not a mystical creature! I'm a _human_!"

"You think we're going to believe that?!" The brown-haired kretin scoffed. "Just because you can make yourself appear as human, doesn't mean you actually _are_ one! We can tell."

"But I am a human! You dopes grabbed the wrong guy--" A horrific thought appeared in Jimmy's head: if they thought he was that other criminal… then that criminal is still on the loose! "Look, those cops mistook me for the guy you're after, that Roscoe guy or whatever."

"Yeah, _sure_…"

"I'm serious! He's still out there!"

"Ah, give it a rest already, Roscoe!" The red-haired kretin snapped.

Jimmy sighed irritably. "My name's _not _Roscoe! It's Jimmy-- Jimmy Krook!"

The werewolf's ears perked up, and he arched an eyebrow. "Krook?" he whispered, knowing that that name sounded _too_ familiar.

"Yeah, keyword: 'crook'. The reason you're here." The brown-haired kretin said.

"For the love of--- you've _got_ the _wrong guy_!" Jimmy shouted, sticking his face through the bars.

The brown-haired kretin stuck his cattle prod up to the bars, almost electrocuting Jimmy's face. "_Shut up and stay back there!_" he roared, and Jimmy backed away from the door. "Stupid, little…"

Jimmy glowered at the door, backing up against the wall by the window that showed outside-- his only view of the world outside of this damned prison. He looked outside, grabbing the lead bars that prevented him from climbing out and escaping. He looked out toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise, giving the dark morning an orange-ish glow.

He sighed, sitting down with his back against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them, his eyes glowering around the room… landing back on the werewolf. "I take it you're Silver," he said, nonchalantly.

"Yeah… and you're Jimmy Krook-- or is that just an alias you made up?" The werewolf replied, his tone indifferent as well.

He sneered at Silver. "It's my name… the only thing my mom left me with before she died and left me with some dumbassed son of a bitch."

"Eh, shit happens."

"No duh, dick-licker."

Silver growled at him, his eyes glowing red. "I'd watch what you call me, kid. When you tick off a beast, you commit suicide."

"Yeah, like I'm really scared of a dumb, over-sized dog chained back by a wall."

Silver glowered, then reached into his back-pocket and pulled out a key. "This 'over-sized dog' happens to have a key to his shackles, and he can easily unlock himself and kill some smart-mouthed kid."

Jimmy's eyes were wide, but he sneered again. "So, why don't you?"

"One: I'm waiting for the right opportunity to escape, and being stuck with a twerp like you isn't it. Two: If I kill you, the guards will see the blood left over, and they don't take bloodshed too kindly around this prison, and they'll find out how I escaped and I'd blow my chance. And three: I don't want to waste my energy mauling some dumb kid."

Jimmy clenched his fists, wanting to pound him-- but instead, he decided to use his words. "So, the 'big bad wolf' can't hurt a kid, huh? 'Fraid you'll get caught, huh? Well, let me tell you something, 'pup', I'm not like the other kids-- why do you think they'd throw me in here?"

"Because those dip-shits made a mistake-- you're not Roscoe Drake. You're Jimmy Krook… the son of Ashley Krook."

Jimmy's eyes widened in horror. How did he know his mom's name?

"I knew your mom once, before they threw me in here. We were good friends-- we could have been more if those dumbasses didn't barge in and take me away."

"How did you two know each other?"

"Eh, we ran into each other, she stayed at my place for the night, despite my horrific appearance… of course, I had to promise not to hurt her dad-- he and I never did get along."

"Wait-- I had a grandpa?!"

"Yeah, but he died of a fatal illness-- one reason your mom had to go. She came back later, though, and we had a pretty good time… that's how I got thrown in here-- someone followed her, saw me, reported that I 'kidnapped and raped' a poor woman, and one tranquilizer dart later, here I am."

"Raped?!"

Silver rolled his eyes. "They exaggerated on that part-- made it up. That's what they do when they see a beast: make up a story about them. People are assholes like that."

Jimmy stared at Silver-- a vicious werewolf, cynical in attitude-- didn't seem all that frightening now… especially when he knew his mom. But that was the part that creeped him out-- there was no way his mom would just stay with such a beast. "She just… stayed with you?"

"That's what I said,"

Jimmy sneered once again. "I don't believe you."

"What?!"

"I don't believe that my mom, under any circumstance, would hang around a horrifying creature-- unless she was _forced_ to."

Silver glowered at the boy. "You calling me a liar?"

"To put it in layman terms, yes. I think whoever saw you was right-- I think you did kidnap my mom, and _forced_ her to stay with you or else you'd kill her _and_ my grandfather!"

The werewolf growled. The young teenager had really gone too far this time, and he unlocked his shackles, walking up to Jimmy and grabbing him by the throat, staring into his eyes face-to-face. "If you have a death wish, I'd be happy to _grant_ it for you,"

Jimmy let out a choked gasp, but showed no fear. "Well, what did you expect?! That I'd just believe that story you made up?! Geez, it sounded like you ripped off that dumb Disney movie!"

Silver loosened his grip, but still glowered at Jimmy. "So, you just think I made the whole thing up?!"

"Duh, I mean c'mon-- you and my mom knowing each other? Please! I bet you just saw her name in the paper about her death and decided to yank me. Trust me, dude, I saw through your story-- I knew you were lying."

Silver glowered some more, but then released him, chuckling. "Heh, smart lad. You must have heard a lot of lies to tell that."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "When you've lied about a few things your whole life, you can pretty much tell the signs of when someone lies-- like how your nostrils flared, that was a giveaway."

Silver shrugged. "Eh, no one's perfect." he walked away, shackling himself once more and hiding the key in his pocket. He sat down and leaned against the wall, resting the back of his head on the bridge of his hands.

"So… what are you in for?"

Silver looked at Jimmy, letting out a sigh. "Ah, the same things that gets all werewolves thrown in jail: mauled a few women, killed a few men, ate a few livestock… those sort of things."

Jimmy nodded. _Why am I not surprised? _he thought sarcastically. "Nice," he scoffed, then rested his chin on his knees, deciding to end the conversation there.

Silver looked at Jimmy, arching an eyebrow. _So… this is Ashley's son, eh? _he thought, then shook his head, giving him a sorrowed glance. _Man, what kind of man did she marry to make him such an emo?_

* * *

Danny woke up, seeing the orange-pink skies of the morning. He sat up, seeing that he was in a field, away from the river… and his clothes were missing! "What in the world?!" he gasped, covering his indecent exposure. He looked around, wondering what happened to him-- and his clothes.

He looked over, seeing his clothes were hung over on a bike, which stood by a small fire… which was getting a little puny. A blonde-haired kid walked over, carrying a few twigs and setting them on the fire to liven it's flames. "Ah, you're awake, that's good," the kid said, and Danny figured the stranger was a boy from the sounds of their voice.

All the prince could do was stare in confusion. "Um…"

The boy rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a bit. "Yeah… sorry that I took your clothes off, but I didn't want you to catch pneumonia-- at least, that's what Radio said would happen if you stayed in wet clothes."

"Radio?"

"That would be me." A voice beside Danny said. He looked over, seeing a silver cat with dark-gray stripes… holding his underpants. "Here, you should put these on. They're dry, so it should be okay---"

Before the cat could even finish saying 'dry', Danny was already standing up in shock, screaming. "Holy shit, that cat talks!" he gasped and put his hand over his mouth. "Sorry, pardon my cursing."

"Quite alright. Now, do you want your underwear, or do you prefer to remain in the nude?"

Danny quickly grabbed his underwear and put it on. "Uh, thank you…"

"Your other clothes should be dry in a few minutes." The other boy said, feeling his clothes by the fire. "They're still a bit damp."

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, who are you?"

"My name is Rudy Homes, and the talking cat who scared the heck out of you is Radio, of course. Don't be frightened of her, she's very nice."

"Oh, I didn't _mean_ to freak out… I've just never seen a talking cat before."

"Who hasn't?" Radio sighed, rolling her eyes. "Now then, who are _you_, my dear boy?"

"My name is Prince Daniel Charmm, heir to the throne of--- oh, my gosh!"

"Heir to the throne of 'oh, my gosh'? That's a strange name." Rudy said.

"No, no. You see, I've just remembered that a vile man-- Jacques Custoe-- has killed my family…" tears began to form in his eyes. "And… destroyed everything I've ever loved…"

"Oh, my gosh! That's terrible!"

"Tell us everything, and don't leave out any details." Radio said.

Danny told them everything-- how he was planning to run away, then he found out something was wrong, so he went back, seeing that Jacques killed his parents (he was crying by that part, and Rudy gave him a tissue). He ended with how he jumped into the river and swam off to find help. "…And now, we've got to find the police and report him!" he finished.

"Oh, trust me, we will." Radio clenched her fists. "That rotten scoundrel… I ought to claw out his eyes for such a deed!"

"We'll head to the police station as soon as your clothes dry," Rudy said, a scowl on his face from Danny's tale. "Such a… I can't believe it. Why would someone _do_ something like that?!"

Danny shrugged, sighing. "I don't know… what's worse is that, now that my parents are gone, I have to take over the throne." he said, letting out a groan.

"What? Don't you have any other relatives?"

"No… Well, actually, I believe my mother had a father who went off on a crusade, though I don't know if he's still around…"

"We can find him. What is his last name?"

"I believe it was… White. Matthew White."

* * *

A/N: Hmm, that last name, "White" sounds familiar, no? XD Please review, no flames… you know how it goes.


	6. Chapter 6: Who's Your Daddy?

Alrighty then, time to get a new chapter in! A slight warning: this chapter includes 'mature content', so if you can't handle it or are under-age, please skip. Otherwise, read on! (but don't say I didn't warn ya!)

Reviewer Thanks

starspring: Ah, you give late reviews, I make late chapters… no big deal. Better late than never, as they always say… whoever 'they' are…

* * *

Chapter Six

Rudy had never blushed so much in his entire life after they pulled Danny from the water. "Take his clothes off, or he'll go into hyperthermia and catch pneumonia." Radio had said. "I'll start a fire." Rudy was about to question how Radio, a cat, could start a fire-- then again, if she could talk, she could probably do other things, too.

He gulped as he began to unbutton Danny's shirt. He didn't want to undress the boy, feeling it would be both awkward and embarrassing for the both of them, but he didn't want to let him catch a chill, like Radio had said. He had taken off the boy's shirt, seeing a white T-shirt underneath, which was wet and easy to see through, showing his scrawny torso. He removed it, trying to control his breathing.

Then it came to the pants, and by that time he was sweating and his hands were shaking as he reached for the zipper. He bit his bottom lip as he slid them off, revealing a pair of white briefs… which he also had to remove. _Oh, geez… _he thought, taking in a deep breath and shutting his eyes tight as he removed his underwear.

"Okay, set his clothes by the fire." He heard Radio say, distracted him from looking at Danny's recently exposed area. He turned and saw that the cat had-- miraculously-- started a nice, warm fire. "Move your bike close to the fire and hang them up on it, that way they don't get filthy."

"O-oh, okay…" Rudy said, gathering up Danny's clothes. As he did, he couldn't help but look at the boy, head-to-toe… but mostly his head, his face to be more specific. Never in his entire life had he seen a more beautiful face…

And now, three hours later, he was sitting next to him by the fire. "Thank you so much, guys," Danny said to them. "I'm so glad you believe me!"

"Hey, if I can believe a cat talks, I can believe anything." Rudy said.

"Isn't that a sign of gullibility?" Radio asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Oops," Rudy covered his mouth, blushing again.

Danny chuckled, patting him on the back. "Don't feel embarrassed. It's your choice to believe anything you want." he said, and Rudy smiled at him. "Speaking of believing, do you suppose the police will believe my story?"

"Why wouldn't they? You're a prince, and your kingdom was sent on fire-- which I doubt anyone near the area could miss-- and your parents, the King and Queen, were just murdered!" Radio said. "They would _have _to believe you, whether they wanted to or not, for a matter such as serious as this."

"Yeah, Danny. And since you're a prince, like Radio said, they'll know you off the spot… maybe even know some of your kin!" Rudy added.

Danny smiled. "I really appreciate all of this, you two." he said, then his smile disappeared, replaced by an inquisitive look. "Now, may I ask another favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can I have my clothes back now?"

* * *

Jimmy opened his eyes, sitting up and stretching. Had he fallen asleep? _I must've been pretty tired if I fell asleep in a creepy place like this. _he thought as he looked around and saw that he was still in a prison cell, and that Silver was asleep on an old blanket by the wall to his right. He sighed. So it _wasn't_ just some crazy nightmare.

He got up, walking toward the door and sticking his face through the bars. "Hey, where's the bathroom in this joint?" he asked one of the guards. The Kretin guards were gone, replaced by two statues-- one was made of concrete and looked like a gladiator, and the other one was made of white marble and looked like a woman in an old Roman garment, holding a sword in one hand while the other held on to another hand that belonged to a three-year-old child-statue.

"It is down the hallway." The white-marble statue replied, then just stood there.

"Can I go to it?" Jimmy asked, a bit annoyed.

"I don't know. _Can _you?"

He scowled at the statue. "_May_ I go to it?" No answer, and he sighed irritably. "Please?"

She turned and smiled, nodding. "Yes, you may." she turned to the concrete statue, then said something in Italian, and he nodded, taking out a set of keys and opening the cell door. Jimmy walked out quickly, but the marble statue grabbed him by the shoulder. "Not so fast. I still need to put a shackle-spell on you."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow, confused. "A _what_?"

The marble statue put away her sword and pointed with her index finger, twirling it around his head, and black symbols appeared and began to spin above his head. "Hold out your wrists, please."

But Jimmy was too shocked to hear her. "Mother-fu--- What the heck _is _that thing?!"

"Hold out your wrists." She said more sternly.

He did so, and she did the same thing with her index finger, only black symbols rotated around his wrists. He tried to move them, but the symbols kept them locked like steel, and he could only stretch his hands so far, as if he was in handcuffs. "What… _are_ these things?!" She gently pushed him with her free hand, walking him down the hall.

"They are security symbols-- to keep everyone protected. Whosoever bears them cannot attack or be attacked… let alone escape Pent Towers and live."

"What do you mean by that?"

The statue-child giggled, as if his question was some sort of joke. "It means---"

"It means that if you try to escape with the symbols around any part of your body, they'll expand and engulf you in a dark shadow, suffocating every breath out of you until you're dead." A voice said, and the ghost-girl, Lilly appeared next to him, her mouth twisted into a wicked smile.

"Yes… and it can do the same to ghosts, as well." The marble statue gave a stern look at Lilly. "Remember, child, just because you don't have a breath anymore doesn't mean you can't suffocate from the spell. …I believe you found that out the hard way."

Lilly frowned, and Jimmy noticed a look of sadness in her eyes before she faded away. "What was _that_ all about?" he asked.

"It is not in my personal sociality to say. If you would like to know, you can ask Lilly herself when she visits your cell." She leaned close to his face, giving him a warning look. "And I suggest, if you value your life, that you don't." She then stopped him by the shoulder, pointing to a door. "Here's the bathroom. Try not to take too long."

Jimmy walked through the door, and his jaw almost dropped. Most prison bathrooms were absolutely filthy, but this one… oh, this one looked like it shouldn't even be in a prison! The floor was marble-white and so clean he could see his reflection in it, and the walls were a rich cream-color. The toilet, urinal and sink matched the floor almost, looking more whiter than snow, and above the sink was a square mirror with a golden edge.

_Am I in prison, or at the Holiday Inn?? _Jimmy wondered. Shaking his head and snapping out of his awestruck, he walked over to the toilet and unzipped his pants, going 'number one'. Looking around the bathroom, he almost forgot the prison was full of mythical creatures… until he saw the symbols around his wrists and head.

When he finished, he zipped up his pants and, just out of curiosity, reached his hand over to touch one of the symbols. It went through it, but he felt an icy chill and quickly retracted his finger. He then walked out of the bathroom, rubbing his finger to relieve it from the sudden cold he felt as the marble statue walked him back to his cell.

The gladiator statue opened the door, and the marble statue waved her hand over Jimmy's head and wrists once he was back in his cell, and the symbols disappeared. They closed the door, and he turned and began walking to the back of the cell---

That's when he saw his new inmates. It was a bald man with dark skin and a 3-headed snake tattoo on his scalp, each head sticking out in a different direction. The other one was also a bald man, only he was white and more ripped than the other, didn't have a shirt on, and had bright-yellow eyes. "Who the $%& are you?" The tattooed-scalp man asked, sneering.

Jimmy ignored them, walking to the back wall and sitting down. "He asked you a question, boy." the other man snapped.

Jimmy sneered at him. "Jimmy Krook, who the &%*$ are you?" he replied.

The tattooed man scowled, almost growling, but the other man held up his hand, smirking. "The name's Ace, and the man who's pissed off at your remark is Meds. Ever heard of us?" Jimmy sneered, giving them the 'I don't give a shit' look. "Eh, didn't think so."

"You're gonna wish you did," Meds said, cracking his knuckles and giving Jimmy such a cold look, it would have made him freeze still if he didn't look away.

Just then, the cell door opened and a transparent man in a Dick Tracy outfit walked in. "Meds, c'mon, we's got a cell open for ya," he said with a heavy Brooklyn accent.

"What about me?" Ace asked in a scoff.

The ghost sneered at him. "I'd know better than to put the two of you's together," He waved his hand around Meds head, like what the marble statue did with Jimmy, and black symbols appeared, and he did the same with his wrists. "C'mon, snake-head."

Meds followed him out, and Jimmy felt a little relieved. _At least I have one-less moron to deal with. _he thought. "So, what're you in for, kid?" Ace asked, though his tone was nonchalant.

"I'm in here by mistake." he replied, clenching his fists in aggravation. "Those ass-wipes thought I was some Roscoe guy, and now while that dip-shit is running free, I'm stuck in here with creeps like you."

Ace grinned. "Ah... So you're 'not' Roscoe, eh?"

"Didn't you just hear me, deaf-ass? _No_, I'm _not_!"

Ace chuckled, and Jimmy felt a little tense as the criminal stood up. "Well, it looks like you're in the wrong kind of situation, kid… especially with _me_ around." He came closer, and Jimmy backed away a little. "You know what _I'm _in for?" Jimmy would have said, 'Does it look like I care?' if he wasn't so nervous all of a sudden. "I'm a child-molester…"

Jimmy scowled. _That's it? How did a regular child-molester end up in the Monster Institution? _he wondered, but didn't ask, especially when he knew where Ace was going with this.

"But, unlike all those _human_ child-molesters, after I get my pleasure… I eat them." he grinned, and Jimmy saw several pointy teeth in his mouth, and he tried to back away further, but Ace grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him close. "Speaking of which… I'm feeling a little hungry now---"

"_Get away from me, you perve_!" Jimmy yelled, bringing up his knee and nailing Ace in the gonads. The criminal grunted and he twisted out of his grip, but he grabbed his ankle and tripped the 14-year-old.

"Now… I'm pisssssed!" At that moment, Ace's muscles began to bulge and his skin turned green, and the yellow-iris in his eyes expanded as his pupils turned into black slits. He grew a large, lizard-like snout with rows of sharp teeth, and a whip-like tail grew out of his pants. His toes and hands grew longer, but had sharp claws at the tips. The lizard-man let out a screech, and Jimmy gasped, kicking the monster in the face and backing away, but only making him angry as he whipped out his tail and tripped Jimmy, making him land on his butt as he approached him, his eyes wild with hate and hunger. Jimmy screamed.

That's when Silver ran up and punched Ace in the face, sending him sprawling back. The werewolf snarled, standing on all fours over Jimmy. "Get behind me, kid, this is gonna get ugly," he whispered to the boy.

Jimmy didn't hesitate, quickly crawling off toward the cell door. "H-hey! One of you statue-guys had better get in here, fast!" he called. "There's a prison brawl going on!"

"(Sigh) Always when someone shares a cell with the werewolf…" The marble statue muttered, then said something to the gladiator statue, who nodded and ran off down the hall, his concrete feet pounding on the floor.

Jimmy turned around, seeing that Ace was back up and lunging at Silver, who ducked out of the way and grabbed the lizard-man by the tail, swinging him and slamming him into the wall, making a large crack in the stone. The lizard-man snarled, then swiped at Silver, scratching his shoulder and making the werewolf snarl with pain. He then punched him, sending him flying back, hitting the wall, closing in on him for the final count…

"What the heck's going on in here?!" A gruff voice shouted as the cell door flew open. Jimmy backed away as a large blue Kretin with blonde hair and violet eyes stepped in. Unlike the last Kretins he saw, this one had more of a woman's body-shape… with a ton of muscle. She stormed over to Silver and Ace, grabbing the lizard-man by the back of the neck and pulling him back. "What the $^%&, Masterson!? First day in prison, and already you're giving everyone shit!"

"He tried to molest me, too!" Jimmy said, glowering at Ace. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed Silver sneaking his shackles back on.

"Well, that'sss what you get for taking the form of a kid---" Ace began to scoff, but the She-Kretin grasped his throat, choking him.

"I'd shut up if I were you, lizard-lips." she said, then turned to the marble statue. "Rosalyn! If you don't mind…"

"Yes, ma'am." Rosalyn, the marble statue, said. She knew what her boss meant, and walked over and shackled Ace's ankles and wrists. His chains were shorter than Silver's, and the werewolf had no reason to protest.

"Hold on a minute! How come he doesn't get sssshackles?!" Ace demanded, pointing at Jimmy.

"He'll get shackled when he deserves it." The She-Kretin said firmly, eyeing Jimmy. "Right now, it doesn't look like he'll be causing any trouble anytime soon." She leaned over, staring Jimmy in the eye. "And it had better _stay_ that way, understood?!"

"Y-yes ma'am," Jimmy replied, still a little shook up.

She gave him a nod. "Good. …Rosalyn, have a new cell scheduled for Masterson by tonight. I don't want to be interrupted from my duties because of a brawl again." And she walked out.

"Yeah, and we'd _all_ hate to interrupt a warden from nagging the other patrol officers." Silver said, sarcastically.

The warden turned sharply to Silver. "Watch it, wolf-man. You don't want to get on my bad side again… I'm already in a bad enough mood as it is. So, _shut your hole_!" And she stormed out, having Rosalyn slam the cell door shut.

"Geez, talk about PMS," Jimmy muttered. He looked over, seeing that Ace was back in his human form, but the shackles remained on his wrists and ankles, just as tight as they were when he was in lizard-form. He glowered at Jimmy, and he glowered back.

"Just wait, kid," Ace said, promisingly. "When I get out of these shackles, I'm going to come after you, and when that time comes you won't have that flea-bag protecting you."

They heard a scoff, and turned to see Silver, smirking. "I wasn't protecting that runt, you dumb-ass." he said. Jimmy looked at him, confused.

Ace arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Oh? Then why did you keep me from devouring him?"

"I was keeping you from _touching_ him. I didn't give a shit on whether you ate him or not-- he doesn't seem that appetizing anyway, probably would cause indigestion. But on the molestation part… That's the part I didn't like. You see, we werewolves are territorial, and we don't like it when people touch something that belongs to us." He reached over and grabbed Jimmy, pulling him close. "Especially when it comes to pleasure…"

"What the _*Y%_**?!**" Jimmy shouted, pulling out of Silver's grip. "You mean… you only kept me from being killed because you think I'm your cell bitch?! Oh, _&$^ NO_!!"

"Oh, *&$ yes, kid. You're in my cell, so you're mine now. …I'd take Ace, but his cock is too wimpy," Ace hissed at his remark, but he ignored him. "Believe it, kid, I'm your daddy now, whether you like it or not."

Jimmy glowered and backed as far away from the two monsters as possible, pressing himself against the wall, wishing he could be like Lilly and fade through it. "He's lying, he wouldn't do such a thing…" A voice beside him said. He looked over, and for a split second he thought he saw the ghost-girl right beside him, fading away.

* * *

A/N: *Whew!* My fingers ache… Well, I hope the content in this chapter didn't scar you for life! Please review, but no flames or I'll throw you in a cell with Ace!


	7. Chapter 7: Calling for Spies

So so SO sorry I haven't updated in a while! Here's a new chapter to make up for my tardiness.

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: So sorry I scarred you for life! Please don't hurt me!

Also, I've noticed I've left out some chapter-identification headings... and have recently lost track, so I won't be adding those anymore! ...Unless I forget to forget...

* * *

Chapter... What is it, again?

The police didn't believe them.

The cops didn't frickin' believe a pair of kids when they told them about a frickin' murder at a castle that frickin' exploded in the middle of the frickin' night by a frickin' French guy! Can you frickin' believe that?!

(Here's what happened, more specifically...)

Once his clothes were dry enough, Danny got dressed and he, Rudy and Radio sped into town to the nearest police station. The young prince rode on the handlebars, and Rudy made sure to go easy on the bumps, especially when he hit one and Danny fell off, and the bike almost ran over Radio---

Anyway, they got to the police station and burst through the doors, running up to the front desk to the chief of police. "Sir, you've GOT to help us!" Rudy said frantically.

"What's the problem, little girl?" The chief asked, obviously mistaking Rudy for a girl.

"My parents have been killed," Danny said, interrupting Rudy before he could explain to the officer that he was actually a boy, not a girl. "They were both shot by a madman by the name of Jacque Custou and he burned down our castle, then tried to kill me."

"Castle?"

"Yes, I live in a castle. My name is Daniel Charmm, son of Maria 'Snow' White and Albert 'Alcapella' Charmm, the royal family."

The chief of police arched an eyebrow. "Wait, you mean you're a Prince, and some psycho killed your parents, and destroyed your home??"

"Yes, that's right," Rudy said. "He escaped by jumping into the river, and I found him by the shore a few hours ago."

"Uh, huh..." The chief nodded and rubbed his chin. "Well, boys, I'll send some men out to the area to investigate... Now, was your castle next to a Gingerbread house or a witch's house?" With that, he slapped his knee and burst out laughing.

"Officer, this is serious!" Danny snapped.

"Yeah? So is police-work, and we're already busy enough with real crimes, and we don't have time for such made-up stories!"

"But it's not made-up!" Rudy cried. "It's true! His parents--"

"--Are going to be pissed when they find out their kid is trying to pull a dumb prank! Now, beat it, before I send you to Juvi!"

Glowering, the two boys left, passing an officer who's eyes widened when he saw Danny. He took out his cell phone, snapped a quick picture, then sent it to someone...

As for our two protagonists, they stepped outside, where Radio was waiting for them. "Well? Are they going to help?" she asked.

Rudy shook his head. "Nope, they wouldn't believe us. Bastards." he muttered, then remembered his courtesy. "Pardon my french,"

"Now what am I going to do?" Danny sighed, sitting on the curb and resting his head in his hands. "Jacques is still after me I'm sure, and the police aren't going to help. How am I supposed to avenge my parents' deaths and find my next of kin to take the throne if no one will help?"

"We'll help, Danny," Rudy said, lying a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Yes... but first, you may want to change your clothes," Radio said. "If Jacque is still after you, you may want to change into a more discrete attire."

"But where am I going to find different clothes?" Danny asked. "All my clothes have either been burned or washed away, and I have no money for new ones."

"You could borrow mine," Rudy suggested. "I have some clothes I hardly wear, and we're practically the same size so they'll fit you."

Danny nodded. "Alright, lets go,"

They walked down the street to Rudy's house, this time walking the bike to avoid accidents.

* * *

Chrystal Homes walked through the parking lot after parking her car. Christopher was still at the house, looking up a few phone numbers (namely girls') and when he would fail trying to hook up through the phone (which she knew he would) he would come to the mall and try his date-getting method face-to-face with girls (much to their dismay). ...That is, after he took out his disappointment on their little brother.

Chrys slowed down her pace, recalling that she hadn't seen or heard Rudy all morning. _I wonder where he went, _she thought, then shrugged. _Eh, probably went on a bike ride like he always does. _

She saw a group of girls from her school walking by and she waved...

...Then gasped when she saw Rudy ride by on his bike--- and another boy was sitting on his handlebars! "What the heck?!" She nearly shouted. She blinked several times, thinking she was imagining the whole thing. But when she looked again, they were still there. She watched as Rudy hit a bump and the other boy fell off, and he steered the bike away, almost running over a cat-- the same cat he brought home last night!

Chrys shook her head. _Probably just some other homo. _she thought, then kept walking.

...But still remained suspicious of what her little brother might be up to. She took out her cellphone and texted Chris...

**Little Homo is out w/ another boy. Get the Blackmail!**

* * *

Jacques walked among the charred hallways of the destroyed castle. Yes, it was a strong risk to destroy something that he wanted, but he knew that in order to destroy the evidence and destroy unwanted witnesses, that sort of risk had to be taken. He came across Daniel's room, walking in to see if there was any survivors. There were none...

...But there was a shelf that the flames surprisingly missed, and on the shelf were several books on many famous fairytales... and one of them made the madman clench his teeth in anger. He took the book, _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, _off the shelf, glowering in rage at the title, then opened the book...

...And tore it apart, down the middle of its spine.

How he hated that story. Not only did he hate the princess in it, but he also hated the fact that it didn't tell the whole story. That it didn't tell the 'evil' Queen's side of the story. That it didn't tell HIS side of the story. He threw the book on the ground and stomped on it.

There were two sides of every story, and he hated that his side was never told, and that he had to harvest his pain for years after his mother's death! ...That is, until now. "Mother, we have reached the top-a!" he exclaimed, stepping out onto the balcony, staring out at the town that he was now in control of. "The kingdom we have longed to rule-- the kingdom that belongs to US now-- is now ours at last-a. (sniffle) If only you were alive to see it."

Just then, his cellphone vibrated, and he got the following text message:

**He's still ALIVE!!!! ...Wat do we do?**

Attached to the message was a picture of Danny with what looked like a blonde-haired... girl? "Damn it!" Jacque cursed. "How could he have...?! (Sigh) Never mind." He took out his cell phone and called a number. "Hello, my dear. ...It iz me, Jacque. I need you to take care of a pest for me..."

* * *

A/N: Looks like the tension is back! X3

Okay, so now we know more about Danny, and why Jacques is after him (we'll get back to Jimmy in the next chapter). Until then, Review! No flames, we just put the last ones out. And if any of you have some ideas or any fairytale spoofs I could include in here, I'm open for 'em!


	8. Chapter 8: Lilly

Okay, I decided to write yet another chapter (for I am currently bored and procrastinating from other things I need to do X3) And, so you all can enjoy yourselves even more, here's a little contest: Try to guess which famous fables (stories) Jimmy and Rudy relate too! (you've probably already guessed which one Danny comes from :p)

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: Once again, sorry for taking so long! I've been busy with other fics, and the writer's block is killing me! ...And I'm glad you recovered :) See if you can guess the stories behind the characters ;D

And... lets begin!

* * *

Sun was shining bright outside, and the two prisoners lie asleep on the ground... while Jimmy stayed wide awake. After what had happened that morning, he didn't dare fall asleep with Silver around, no matter what Lilly had told him about the werewolf lying. For all he knew, she could have been the one lying, and if he trusted her he would end up... He decided to stop thinking about it right there.

He shivered, noticing just how cold it was in the room. _Why is it so damn cold in here?! _he wondered. Then he realized-- it was the ghosts. He remembered seeing a movie (after sneaking into the theater) about a haunted house, and the people knew it was haunted because it was so cold, due to the fact that when people become ghosts, they have no bodies, thereby no body heat, and become poor, freezing, body-less souls, doomed to walk the earth until their sins are forgiven...

...Or until they find the light of Heaven...

...Or until they accomplish some unfinished business...

...Or because they wanted to haunt the person who killed them or guard something valuable to them.

Jimmy shook his head. Ghost movies always had different reasons on why ghosts were ghosts. He looked around the room, feeling envious about Ace and Silver. Ace didn't have a shirt on, and yet he didn't seem bothered by the chill, and Silver had all that fur...

And a blanket. Jimmy saw that the werewolf was lying on a blanket! Sure, it was a dirty, ragged piece of fabric, but it was still a blanket! And Silver was barely on it, making it seem easy for any boy to sneak over and tug it out from under him---

_Don't even think about it! _A warning voice inside Jimmy's head snapped. _If that over-grown werewolf catches you stealing something of his, he'll kill you! Or worse..._

Jimmy shrugged. _So I won't get caught, _he thought again, crawling over and grabbing the edge of the blanket, lifting it up...

And seeing something underneath. It was an article that seemed to have been torn out of a newspaper, and from the date on it, it was from seven years ago--- and on the day of the funeral of Jimmy's mom... and it was about the funeral!

_Funeral Notice: January 4th, 2003-- Ashley Krook. Born: February 25th, 1965. Died: December 27th, 2003._

Jimmy closed his eyes, remembering that day... but then opened them in confusion. Why did Silver have the article about his mother's funeral notice under his blanket?

"I'd put that back if I were you," A voice whispered beside Jimmy, making him gasp. He turned and saw Lilly, squatting right next to him. "The last guy who got a hold of one of Silver's things ended up leaving Pent Towers... in pieces."

"What the heck are you doing here?" Jimmy snapped, keeping his voice a whisper, as he slid the newspaper article back under the blanket.

"I always visit Silver's cell. I'd visit them other monsters' cells, but they're too noisy, and they cuss too much. One of them once cussed me out of their cell, they wanted me out so bad. ...Silver on the other hand, he doesn't cuss when he sees me around-- he's more of a gentleman that way."

Jimmy scoffed. "A werewolf being a gentleman? I doubt it... especially when this one wants to---" he paused, noticing how young Lilly looked, and decided to keep his content mannerly around her as well. "Um, do bad things to me."

"Yeah, yeah... I know about the whole 'Ace' scene, and about Silver's bluff. ...He _was_ bluffing, you know. He's not a child molester, and he's as straight as straight can be."

Hearing her talk more, Jimmy noticed that Lilly had a southern-like accent. "Where are you from?" He caught himself. "I mean, where were you from before you became a ghost?"

"My family came from Georgia. My papa was a farmer and my mother worked at the local bakery back in 1935. That's the year we lived in, and times were good!" she frowned. "That is, 'til there was a thunder storm, and lightening struck our house, starting it on fire as we slept. I woke up, and my room was up in flames! I kept crying, 'Momma! Momma! Help!' I was so scared. Next thing I know, everything when from orange to black, and when I woke up the next morning, the house was burned to ashes and my parents were gone. Trouble is, I don't know where they went off to-- whether they were ghosts, or if their souls reached Heaven."

"So, you suddenly knew you were a ghost?"

Lilly sighed. "It was a hard thing to do. At first, I thought I was just having one of those nightmares where something bad happens and you're all alone... then I realized it was no nightmare. I tell you, boy, I cried so hard and began running around town, begging for folks to help me. Of course, by the time I got to town, everyone had already heard the news, and ran away spooked when they saw a dead-girl walking. That's when I realized I was dead, too, and began wailing so hard no one dared come near me, afraid I would lash out like a mad dog that lost one of its pups."

"So, they called someone and threw you into Pent Towers?"

She shook her head. "Oh, no! I came here on my own." Jimmy gave her an inquisitive look. "(Sigh) I walked around the country for years, trying to think of what to do next, trying to find a solution to get to Heaven. I mean, my folks and I were good Christians, and I never committed any sins that I can remember! So, I kept walking along, trying to figure out why I was stuck on Earth still and what I needed to do to get into Heaven. I must've walked pretty far, 'cuz the next thing I knew, I was at the front door of Pent Towers. I came in, walked up to the desk-- and I was plumb-frightened of all the creepy creatures around here-- but I swallowed my fear and asked one of them blue-creatures behind the desk, 'Can you help me?' and they asked, 'What's the problem?' and I replied, 'My house burned down and I'm a ghost, but I think my parents are in Heaven. Can you help me find a way to get there?' and they said, 'Sorry, little girl, I can't.' I was disappointed and intended on leaving, but when the warden saw me and found out I was a ghost, she decided to let me stay. 'Ghosts shouldn't be out in that world, little girl,' she said. 'It's too dangerous to scare the living daylights out of people'."

"And you just decided to stay?"

She nodded. "Yep. I mean, I had nowhere else to go, so I thought 'What the heck?'. It took me a while to get used to being around the creatures around here, but they're not as bad as they seem... except for the prisoners."

Jimmy nodded, deep in thought. "That statue mentioned something about those symbols killing ghosts, and said you were familiar with it. ...Why did she say that?"

Lilly scowled and began to fade. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"W-wait, don't---" But she was gone before Jimmy could finish. He thought about her story, then let out a sigh. _So I'm not the only orphan in this joint after all. _he thought.

The cell door opened, and the Dick Tracy-like ghost walked in, followed by two concrete guards that looked like mythical greek heroes, one of them wearing armor and the other wearing a toga. They walked over to Ace, putting the 'shackling-symbols' on him, then unchained him and led him out. The lizard-shapeshifter gave Jimmy a glare, his eyes turning yellow with black slits, before he was out of the cell.

"Finally. I thought they'd never take that guy," Silver said, startling Jimmy. He realized how close he was to the werewolf and quickly scooted away. But the werewolf paid no attention to him, yawning and stretching, then stepping onto the blanket and curling up on it like a dog. "If I had to listen to that guy snore one more time, I'd rip his nostrils out."

Jimmy looked at him, then sighed. "Thanks..." He found himself saying quietly. He didn't know why he decided to say it, since he didn't trust the werewolf, but felt it had to be said. "For... you know, keeping that lizard-freak from killing me."

Silver opened one of his eyes, peeking at Jimmy, then opened the other and gave him a look. "Didn't someone ever teach you not to tangle with a criminal?"

He sighed, turning away. "Who's there to learn from? My mom's dead, my step-father walked out on us, and I never knew my real dad. I ended up having to teach myself how to fend off jackasses, and the cops didn't make much of an influence, either."

"What a shame."

He shrugged. "Eh, whatever. I'm doing just fine on my own."

Silver scoffed. "From what I've seen so far, I doubt it." He got up and walked over to Jimmy, putting his arm around his shoulders. "You've taught yourself how to fend for yourself, but doing that you also taught yourself how to smart-mouth off to others and get yourself thrown in prison. ...I think you need to be taught a new lesson, beginning with how to act around the shit-heads around here."

Jimmy tried to pull out of his arm, but the werewolf kept a grip on him. "What the heck...?!"

"From now on, as long as you're in a cell with me, I'm going to be keeping you in line."

Jimmy struggled again with no prevail. "You can't--"

"And don't think I'll let you get away with any smart-ass remarks. If you so much as crack a joke about me, I'll beat you so hard you'll wish I'd killed you."

Jimmy scowled. "I hate you."

Silver shrugged. "I get that a lot. Now, get some sleep. The lesson begins tonight-- whether you want it to, or not." He let go of Jimmy and lied back down on the blanket.

"Whatever... just as long as you don't molest me."

The werewolf burst out laughing. "You honestly thought I was serious about that?! Please, kid-- if I was going to have a cell-bitch, they would be a lot hotter than you and-- Lord willing-- a female."

Jimmy sat against the wall, a bit stunned. So Silver had been lying about that after all. _He's as straight as straight can be. _Lilly's words echoed through his head.

_Except when he's lying. _Jimmy thought, then shut his eyes. Despite his protests to stay awake, he fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: Okay, can you guess what kind of story Jimmy relates to? And what happened at Pent Towers that Lilly won't talk about? Please review, and we will return after this commercial break.

This story brought to you by: "Anti-Flames-R-Us", the company that will hunt down and obliterate anyone who sends flames. (hint hint)


	9. Chapter 9: Lessons and Invitations

Lets get some more fairy-tale hints in this story, eh? (note: one of the boys will also be similar to a non-fairytale Disney movie… try to guess which one!)

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: Ding! Ding! Ding! You got part of it right! Now, see if you can guess the others ;)

Rudy peeked out of the bushes, looking over at his driveway. Chris was getting into his car to go for a drive, and he ducked deeper into the bushes as his brother backed out of the driveway and drove off. "Okay, lets go." he whispered to Danny and Radio, and they quickly ran through the front door.

"Why did we have to wait for him to leave?" Danny asked.

"You'd be sneaky too if you were sneaking a stranger into your house," Radio said, which calmed down Rudy a bit.

"Yeah, my parents are, uh, out of town and don't want me having anyone over." Rudy added, and it was actually the truth. "My siblings would squeal on me if they found out." _And beat the crap out of me, too. _he thought.

"Now, come along, your highness, we've got to get you into a disguise."

They walked up to Rudy's room, where he handed the prince a white, black-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of white socks, a pair of black Nike sneakers, and a black beanie with a yellow crown-like rim. "You sure no one will recognize me?" Danny asked, looking at himself in a full-length mirror after putting on the clothes.

"I'd doubt it if they did," Rudy said, then held up the prince's old clothes. "Dressing like this your whole life, not even your own mother would recognize you!" He gasped, covering his mouth after realizing what he said. "I'm sorry!"

Danny sighed sadly, but smiled. "It's okay, you didn't mean any offense, I'm sure."

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"Someone's at the door," Radio said, looking out the window.

"I'll… go get it." Rudy said, walking out the bedroom door, blushing with guilt. _Nice going, Rudy! For the first time in your life, you invite a kid to your house, and you end up making a statement about his dead mother! _he scolded himself.

Danny sat on the bed, and Radio hopped off the window and rubbed against his legs in comfort. "You miss her, don't you?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Yes… I do." he said quietly, wincing.

Radio said no more. Instead, she hopped onto his lap and lied down, digging her chin into his leg. "She's not gone, you know." she said. Using her tail, she tapped Danny's chest. "She's in here, and she's watching you from above."

"I know… I've heard that sort of talk in stories."

"And it's true…"

"Look, could we stop talking about my mother for a minute, please?!" he sounded more harsh then he wanted to, and sighed, petting Radio apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's just… thinking about her…"

Radio nodded. "I understand, Daniel. I'll be quiet now." And they sat there for a few minutes in silence.

Meanwhile, Rudy walked to the front door and opened it, seeing a girl with brown hair up in a pony-tail, purple-rimmed glasses, wearing a red shirt and a matching burgundy skirt. "Here, kid," she said, handing Rudy an envelope. "My sister wanted to invite you to her party tonight."

Rudy opened the envelope and looked at the invitation, seeing it was for the same party the twins were going to. "R-Really?? …But, I thought freshmen couldn't go---"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Josh only said that to keep our little brother from coming. Terra sent me to hand out these invitations so Ricky wouldn't know. We would have called, but the twerp likes to listen in on our calls, and since my sis and I are too young for cell phones and Josh dropped his in the toilet---"

"Okay, I get it. Thank you."

"Yeah, you're welcome, kid." She turned and walked off, carrying several other envelopes with her.

Rudy went back upstairs. "Who was it?" Radio asked.

"Tiffany Stefan. She invited me to her siblings party tonight!" he said, holding up the invitation.

"Wow, that's great! You can actually go, now!" She hopped off Danny's lap and rubbed against Rudy's leg. "See? Good things always happen to good people,"

"But I still can't go. You forgot one problem,"

Radio scoffed. "What's that?"

"My siblings."

Radio's smile faded. "Oh…"

Danny looked at the invitation. "Perhaps you can still go. It says here it's a them party, and the theme tonight is a Masquerade." he said.

"See?? You can still go-- just put on a costume, and the twins won't even recognize you."

"But, I don't have any costumes-- none that Chris and Chrys haven't seen me in."

"Both of your siblings are named 'Chris'?" Danny asked.

"Well, yeah, except Chrys's name is spelled with a 'y' rather than an 'i', and she's a girl…"

"Ah,"

Radio then smirked. "You said the twins saw you in every costume you've ever had, right?"

"Right… they'd recognize me in anything." Rudy sighed.

Radio held up Danny's old clothes. "I don't think so…"

Rudy's face twisted into shock. "Oh, no you don't! I'm not dressing up like Danny and going to that party! And there is NO WAY you can talk me into it!"

*BAM!*

Jimmy fell hard onto the floor with a grunt, his ribs hurting like crazy, but he ignored his pain and stood up, facing Silver. "C'mon, Jimmy-boy, don't you know how to fight?" the werewolf taunted him.

Jimmy's face twisted in anger, and he lunged at the werewolf, fists raised, ready to---

*POW!*

--fly back and hit the ground again. "Ugh!" he grunted, sitting up. His head was pounding, but he shook it off and stood up again. "Is that all you got?" he taunted.

Silver laughed at this. "Whipping out the cliché lines now, eh?" he said, then balled his fists. "Come get some, tough guy."

Jimmy yelled and ran toward Silver, dodging his first blow and getting him in the stomach, but the werewolf wasn't phased and grabbed him by the head and pushed him back hard, making him sprawl on his back again. He felt dizzy, but he kept getting back up and trying to attack Silver, only to end up in the same position each time. Finally, when he lunged again, he didn't go for the stomach, but faked throwing a punch there instead, distracting the werewolf and getting him in the jaw. But Silver was expecting that and quickly shook off the minor pain, then punched Jimmy in the gut, sending the teen down on the floor on his knees, holding his stomach and gasping for breath.

"You give up, or are you thirsty for more?" Silver asked, grinning.

Jimmy looked up at him and glowered. "I never give up," he said coldly, and stood up to try again, but the pain was too intense this time and he sank back down on his knees.

Silver tsk-tsked at him, then squatted down beside him. "Here's some advice, kid: Lose the anger." Jimmy just glared at him. "If you let yourself get mad, your anger will cloud your thoughts, and when that happens, you won't be able to think straight. Whatever fight you're in, keep a calm head, and you'll have better strategy." He stood up, and offered Jimmy his paw. "So, you want to keep going, or should we stop the lesson there?"

Jimmy pushed his hand away and-- despite the pain-- stood up and glowered deeply into Silver's eyes. "I don't need your advice," With that, he turned to walk off… and the pain in his legs made him stumble and fall, making the back of his shirt slide up a bit, showing a trace of some scars.

…Which Silver noticed. He lifted Jimmy's shirt, observing the long, scarred lines on his back. "How did you get those?"

Jimmy turned on his hip and kicked him away. "Don't EVER look at my back again!! …No one's allowed to see those marks. No one." He crawled away from Silver and leaned against the wall with the window-- his wall-- and pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face into his arms. He heard Silver sigh and walk away, and that was good enough for him. He didn't want the werewolf-- or anyone-- to see his backs and ask where he got the scars.

The memory of getting whipped with a belt, trying to protect his mom, was bad enough, and the pain he felt that day-- the pain that was always with him-- was the worst he could ever feel.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Rudy muttered, looking at himself in a mirror. He was wearing Danny's clothes and a masquerade mask made out of blue fabric and glitter. "They're still going to recognize me!"

"Then wear this, too." Radio said, holding up a silver make-shift crown with small fake-diamonds rimmed around it… though, it didn't really look all that fake.

Rudy looked at the crown in awe. "Where did you get this??"

"I made it. It's wide enough to cover the top of that shaggy, blonde head of yours, and with the suit and mask the twins will hardly recognize you, so you needn't worry about them."

"But, how am I going to get there? Their house is clear across the neighborhood, it's almost dark, and I can't ride my bike there or else the twins might see it and---"

Radio held up her paw, silencing him. "I already have it taken care of. Follow me."

He followed her down the hallway, and they quickly passed the bathroom, where the twins were busy preparing for the party themselves. "Hey! Ease off the make-up, Chris! I need that!" they heard Chrys yell.

"Girl, if you keep using this make-up to cover your ugly, you'll use it all up! Now give it here, I need it for my costume!" They heard Chris retort.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry," Radio whispered, leading Rudy down the steps and out the front door…

…Where he saw Danny-- wearing a black leather jacket and helmet-- was sitting on a moped. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Rudy's jaw hit the ground. "What the… how the… Where did you get that?!" he demanded.

Radio shrugged. "I know a crazy beatnik who decided to let us borrow it--- until he's done running to rehab after thinking that alcohol he drank caused him to see a talking cat." she replied, smirking innocently.

"B-b-but… Danny doesn't know how to drive a moped!"

"I beg to differ!" Danny huffed. "I'll have you know that back at my castle, I used to drive my motorcycle around the track every day!"

"But, what if the cops pull us over?! They'll want to see a license!"

"Then we'll avoid the cops," Radio said. "Don't worry, Rudolph, Daniel's a safe driver… how do you think we got the moped here in the first place?"

Rudy shook his head. "This all seems wrong…"

"Hey, Chris! Where the heck is the fag?!" They heard Chrys shout from inside the house.

"I don't know, I think he's still with that boy you saw him with!" Chris called back, and his voice came from the garage!

"What do you MEAN you don't know?! You were supposed to be---"

*VRRRROOM!!*

The rest of Chrys's words were drained out from the roar of the moped. "Time to go." Radio said, running into the bushes.

"C'mon!" Danny said, grabbing Rudy's wrist and pulling him on. "Hang on!"

"Wait! I don't have a--- WHOA!!" Rudy began to protest, but they had already sped off down the street. He hung on to Danny's shoulders tightly, and surprisingly the crown stayed on, too. _I'm going to die tonight, I'm going to die tonight! _he thought worriedly.

It was as if Danny heard his thoughts. "Don't worry, I'm a safe driver, just as Radio said." He reached down, where a spare helmet was hooked by his knee, and he handed it to Rudy, and slowed down a little bit so he could put it on. Once he felt both of Rudy's hands on his shoulders again, he increased his speed and they drove off toward the party.

*WHAM!!*

Jimmy fell back again, aching all over. Silver hadn't even begun to take it easy on him, but he didn't mind--- he didn't want any sympathy. "C'mon, Jimbo, can't you take the heat---" Silver began to taunt, but all at once Jimmy quickly got up, ran over and punched him in the snout. "Ow! Damn it, kid!" he rubbed his nose.

But Jimmy wasn't finished. He punched Silver upside the jaw, in the stomach, and across the face. And he was grinning through it all. "C'mon, wolf-man, can't you fight a kid?" he taunted, jabbing Silver in the gut again.

"Oof! Alright, alright, you got me back. Happy, now?"

Jimmy grinned wider. "I'll be happier once I mop the floor with your furry ass," he chuckled and walked back to his wall.

Silver couldn't help but grin. Secretly, he knew, Jimmy had used his advice.

A/N: Guess and review! But no flames, or I'll punch you so hard, your grandkids' grandkids will be dizzy!


	10. Chapter 10: Friends and Fights

When boredom strikes… It's time to write fics!

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: Confound it. I thought that would help! Hmm, I guess I'll just put in some more hints. Thanks for the review, anyway!

Danny parked the moped along the curb, and he and Rudy climbed off. "We are going to get in SO much trouble…" Rudy said, placing the fake crown back on his head while placing the helmet back on the hook.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Don't worry so much. We'll go in, hang around, and be out of there by midnight. Tops." he said.

Rudy arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

The prince grinned. "You didn't think I'd leave you to enjoy this party yourself, did you? Especially since I-- having been living in a castle my whole life with no real social interaction-- have been dying to come to a real, live party full of other kids my age and older! Besides, I'm dressed for the occasion." He pointed to his leather jacket and helmet.

Rudy considered this and sighed. "Fine… But stay by me-- you don't know how crazy these parties tend to get."

They walked up to the house. It was a three-story, mansion-like structure with tall hedges along the fence and pillars that lined the Mosaic-tiled walk, and a lightened fountain near the front door. It was a gorgeous home, and Rudy wished he could live in such a place. He and Danny approached the front door, ready to knock, until a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around-- and he faced Chris, who was dressed up as Marylyn Manson, and Chrys, who was dressed up as Ginger from "Gilligan's Island". _Oh, shit! I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm--- _Rudy thought, nervously.

"Move out of the way, Freshy." Chris sneered.

Chrys eyed him, inquisitively. "Say, you look familiar… Do we know you?" she asked.

Rudy shook his head. "Um, no-nope. I'm, um…" he stammered, his mind rushing to think up an alibi, but nothing came up.

"We're exchange students from Connecticut." Danny said, stepping up and helping Rudy out. "A girl came by our house today and invited us to this party."

"I've never seen you in School before…" Chris said, suspiciously.

"We just moved in yesterday." Rudy said, shrugging.

Chrys peered at him more closely. "You sure you're new?" she questioned, her voice sly but serious. "I know I've seen you somewhere before…" she reached for his mask, and he backed away.

The door then opened and Tiffany Stefan-- dressed as Princess Jasmine from "Aladdin"-- stepped out. "Hey, what are you guys standing around out here, for?" she scoffed. "The party's _inside_."

Without hesitation, Rudy and Danny rushed inside, disappearing into a crowd of costumed kids before the twins could stop them. "That was _too _close," Rudy said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "My sister almost recognized me!"

Danny looked back at the front door, where they left the twins. "Those were your siblings?" he questioned in surprise. "You guys don't _look_ alike."

Rudy shrugged. "Yeah, people often think I'm their step-brother. But I just look more like my mom than they do." A kid in a "Batman" costume pushed by them then, and they decided to move to a less crowded part of the house. He took the young prince by the hand and guided him through the crowd of kids.

They tried the hall first, but it was just as bad as the living room, where most of the kids mingled on the wall drinking soda, or chatting (and flirting) with each other; next came the kitchen, but it was packed with kids devouring the food on the table; they went over to the stairs, thinking they could head upstairs, but a few juniors and seniors (and a couple sophomores) were sitting on the steps, making out. They decided not to go upstairs, thinking that--- if people were making out on the stairs-- Lord knows what was going on in the bedrooms.

Finally, they decided to step out into the backyard, where a DJ was playing techno-rave music and several kids were dancing on the concrete patio. There was a walkway that lead to a maze in the garden, so they decided to venture there. "I didn't know your school had so many students," Danny said to him once they were away from the crowd of kids, thinking about how the house was practically packed with the High School body.

"Neither did I," Rudy replied, letting out a sigh. "Then again, I never keep track of all the people I barely know at that school."

"How about your friends? Did you see them in there?"

Rudy blushed. "No…"

"Really? With all those kids in there, I figured at least three of your friends would be here…" He then noticed the sad look on Rudy's face as the teen looked away. "What's the matter?"

"I… I don't have any friends," His voice came out in a whisper, but Danny still heard him.

"What?! How could a nice kid like you _not_ have any friends??"

Rudy sighed. "Back in Junior High, Chris and Chrys told all the guys that I--- um, that is, they told everyone a rumor about me, and why I wanted to hang out with them. They avoided me out of disgust, and the girls didn't want anything to do with me after they told them that I… (gulp) did something gross in my sleep."

Danny arched an eyebrow and snickered. "So… did they tell everyone you were a bed-wetter, or something? That's pretty ridiculous---"

Rudy sighed irritably. "They didn't say I was a bed-wetter! They told everyone that I was gay--" he gasped and slapped his hand over his mouth, blushing. _Way to go, dumb-ass! You let the secret out! _he thought.

But Danny didn't seem quite shocked. "They… told everyone you were gay?"

"Yes!" Rudy stood up and began pacing angrily. "They told all the guys to keep away from me because I was planning on dragging them into my room and raping them, then they told all the girls that I constantly thought about guys in tight pants just to get a boner and masturbate while I slept! Now, to this day, none of the kids wants to hang out with me-- they even avoid me if I have to partner up with them for an assignment!" Tears suddenly began to form in his eyes. "I was hoping it would die out by eight grade, and that everyone would forget about it or figure they were lying, but almost every month they would make up some 'gay' rumor about me-- that I collected pictures of naked guys, or that I put a foot-long hotdog between my legs-- and all the kids started calling me 'faggot' or 'queer-creeper', or the worst on, 'Homes the Homo'… and I would always run home and cry…"

"That's terrible! Didn't your parents do anything about it, or the teachers?!"

Rudy shook his head. "No… If I told anyone, Chris and Chrys would kill me… And I mean literately 'grab me by the throat and choke me 'til I was dead' kill me! They're _that_ evil." He sighed and sat down beside Danny, putting his face in his hands and sobbing. It was quiet, and they could hear a song play from back on the patio.

_If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?_

"You'd probably believe them too, if they told you…" Rudy sobbed.

_If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?_

But Danny shook his head, and placed a hand on Rudy's shoulder. "I'd never believe them, not since I've actually met you, and been with you." he said. "You're a good kid, Rudy-- you helped me out of that river and prevented me from catching my death, you tried to convince the police that I needed help, and now you're the only one who will believe me and actually help me-- along with Radio, of course."

_If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?_

"Don't think for a minute that I would believe a filthy word of whatever those evil twin-devils that you call siblings would have to say. …Those rumors you told me about sound too disturbing to be true, anyway, and I disregard those who believe their crude lies."

Rudy stared at him, eyes filled with tears. "You… really mean that?" he whispered.

_I never know what the future brings But I know you're here with me now_

Danny shrugged. "Of course," he then took Rudy's hand in his own. "Rudy… you're the only friend I've ever made, and a great one at that. I don't care what kind of things people think about you, because I know who you truly are…" he tapped Rudy's chest with his finger. "…deep down in here."

_We'll make it through And I hope you are the one I share my life with_

Rudy's eyes glimmered with tears, and he smiled and hugged Danny. "Thank you, Danny…" he whispered.

Danny hugged him back. "Anytime, Rudy."

_I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understandIf I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_

After that last ballad, they broke out of their hug. Rudy lifted his mask off of his eyes and wiped away the remainder of his tears, then slid it back on. "C'mon, Rudy, lets get back to the party," Danny said, standing up and-- grabbing Rudy's hand-- pulling his friend up with him. "Maybe there's someone else who knows the truth about you."

Rudy took in a deep breath and sighed. "Okay, lets go." he said, and began walking with Danny toward the house.

The prince snickered a bit. "I mean, who'd believe a rumor from them about someone being gay?" …Rudy chuckled with him, deciding to keep his secret from his friend a little longer.

Jimmy wasn't expecting a couple of Kretins to allow him and Silver out of the cell, but they did. Placing the 'shackle-symbols' over their heads and around their wrists, they lead them down the hall and into the elevator, where they began to go down. Jimmy jumped a bit when the back of the elevator opened, revealing a court yard outside. The Kretins pushed them through, then swiped away their shackle symbols. "Ya guys got a few minutes to mingle," the Kretin with red hair said, then glared at Silver face-to-face. "And we'd _better_ not have to break up a brawl again,"

"That goes double for you, Roscoe," the Kretin with brown hair said, poking Jimmy in the chest.

"The name's 'Jimmy', blue-boy," Jimmy said, then turned and followed Silver on to the court. He never thought that the monstrous inmates at Pent Towers got some 'free time', that they were too dangerous to be let out of their cells… especially at night. He looked at the fence that surrounded the courtyard… and noticed it curled upward into a dome shape, and that little black symbols twisted around the chain links. _I guess it's safe enough to let monsters roam free in here, _he thought.

But he found out how wrong he was when he bumped into Meds. "Well, well, well! Look who it is!" Meds said, feigning joy. "It's the little smart-ass that belongs to Silver…"

_Looks like Ace told them about Silver's 'cell bitch' joke. _Jimmy thought, rolling his eyes. "I don't belong to anyone, Snake-Head," he scoffed, nick-naming Meds after the three-headed snake tattoo on his scalp.

Meds' eyes glowed red and he bared fangs, and for a moment Jimmy thought he saw his tattoo move. "I'd watch what you call me, boy…" his voice sounded more sinister.

"What, can't take the nicknames, bright-eyes?" Jimmy knew it would be suicidal to criticize a guy that just grew fangs, but his attitude outbid his common sense.

Meds gripped Jimmy's shoulders. "I don't think your ears are working, punk-ass."

Jimmy sneered. "Too bad my eyes are working well,"

Meds scowl twisted into a vicious smile. "Oh, really? How about a staring contest then?" This time, Jimmy actually did see his tattoo move, as three snakes sprouted from his head, taking a 3-D form and hissing, and he felt his body go stiff. "Look into my eyes boy, and see if you can beat me. I must warn you, though-- I always win…"

"That's enough, Meds," Silver snapped, then pulled Jimmy away from the Gorgon's grasp, all the while keeping his gaze away from him. "Go stone someone else,"

Meds sneered at the werewolf. "Kill-joy…" he gave Jimmy one last glance, noticing that Silver kept the boy's eyes covered, and he couldn't help but grin as he walked away. _So, Ace wasn't lying after all. _he thought.

Silver lifted his paw from Jimmy's eyes, then gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him back into reality. "Are you _trying _to get yourself killed?!" he snapped when Jimmy came to.

"What… What happened?" Jimmy asked, feeling dizzy. "I blacked out…"

"You almost got stoned by a Gorgon, that's what! Never make eye-contact with those creatures, kid, or else---"

"Let me guess, I'll 'turn to stone'?"

Silver rolled his eyes. "Stupid Greek myths… No. Their gaze doesn't literately turn you to stone like what happens in those 'Medusa' stories. Their gaze penetrates into yours, making your mind go blank and hypnotize you into believing you actually _are_ stone-solid. Then they kill you."

Jimmy shook his head again. "I feel nauseas."

"That's just a side effect from waking out of a Gorgon's trance. It's nothing---" Jimmy then puked, making Silver jump back. "Holy shit!"

Unfortunately, he had puked next to a man with livered, brown skin, a big nose, shaggy orange hair, and bright green eyes. "Hey! Watch we're you're vomiting!" the troll snapped, picking up Jimmy by the shirt collar and getting ready to punch him.

Jimmy reacted quickly by swinging his body forward and kicking the troll in the face and making him release him. The monster roared with anger and lunged after Jimmy, but the teen dodged and the troll ended up slipping and sliding on the vomit (ew) and crashing into an ogre, who swung a punch at the troll-- who ducked-- and ended up punching a minotaur, who charged at them with a roar and the three of them got into a brawl, stumbling near a gargoyle, Meds, and a Harpy.

Needless to say, the entire court turned into a wrestling match, and several guards rushed out to break up the fight. Jimmy quickly ran from the scene--- smacking into Ace. _Man, I'm just running into every son of a bitch today! _he thought. "Ssso we meet again," Ace said, grabbing Jimmy by the throat and clapping his hand over his mouth, then dragged him over to some bushes that grew beside the building, while the guards were busy breaking up the brawl. Turning into his lizard form, he kept Jimmy pinned down. "How about we have a little fun, hmm?"

Jimmy tried to struggle free, but the lizard-man had a tight grip on him, and he couldn't yell-- let alone make a snappy remark-- with the creature's hand over his mouth… So he bit his hand instead, making the monster hiss in pain and giving himself an opportunity to scramble out of his grip. But before he could run, Ace grabbed him with his tail and slammed him into a corner of the building and trapped him.

"You're a tough kid… and I like it when my kidsss are tough-- they tassste… ssso… _good_,"

Jimmy glared at the lizard-man, sitting up. "Back off, Lizard-Lips," he spat. "You're not my type."

"What issss your type then? Oh, yeah… It'sss SSSilver. Where'sss your daddy now, bitch?"

"Right here," Silver said, grabbing Ace by the tail and swinging him around the air, then threw him at the brawling monsters. He then turned to Jimmy. "Boy, you just have a nose for trouble, don't you?"

"No… Trouble just has a nose for me," Jimmy grunted, trying to stand up, but the pain in his body was sharp, and he stood on his hands and knees, waiting for the pain to subside.

Suddenly, the brawling stopped, and all the monsters got in line. "Stay down, kid," Silver ducked lower into the bushes, watching as the warden stepped out of the building.

"What the $^& is going on out here?!" the female Kretin shouted, and all of the other monsters started blurting out answers all at once. "ENOUGH!! You dip-shits know the rules-- there's no brawling allowed in my prison! …If I hear another fight going on one more time, YOU GUYS ARE GETTING BOILED IN MOTOR OIL!!!" She brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face, turning to the guards. "Take these wrestle-crazed morons back to their cells." And she walked back into the building.

"I guess it's safe to come out now," Silver said, and he and Jimmy walked out of the bushes, and one of the guards put shackling symbols on them and led them into the building and down the hall. Rather than taking the elevator, they took the stairs…

…And by the time they reached the second floor, Jimmy's legs collapsed beneath him and his vision went black. The last thing he heard were angry yells and a frantic cry.

A/N: Well, I'd hate to leave it hanging there, but it's getting close to midnight and writer's block has struck. (A bit of inspiration will help take care of that) Please review, and if you have an idea for any mythical creatures or other fairytales you'd like to see in this story, don't hesitate to mention them!

But _please _hesitate to flame.


	11. Chapter 11: Nausea

Hello again, peoples! (tomato flies overhead) Er, sorry… And _non_-peoples! Here's the next chapter, let's see what is to become of our three protagonists!

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: Yes! Once again you are correct! And thank you for the creature ideas… man, I can't believe I forgot about those guys.

Fangface the second: Hmm… Another story like this one, eh? That's gonna be a reader! (and I'm not just saying that) ;)

**Rudy's POV**

I pushed through the crowd, looking for my friend. "Danny! Danny, where are you?" I called, but the music playing inside drained out my voice. I had to use the bathroom, and told Danny to wait for me and not to wander off-- I mean, call me skeptic, but I didn't want him to mingle with a ton of strangers, especially since he's never been to a party like this before.

…And neither have I, which made it hard to use someone else's bathroom when another person had invaded the bathroom and raided the medicine cabinet, used the owner's hairbrush, and had vomited in the bathtub! _What kind of party is this?! _I couldn't help but ask, disgusted with the thought of someone inviting several people into their house with no care of what they did. I zipped my pants and got out of the bathroom as quickly as I could. "Hey, Danny, I think it's time we---" I was saying, but paused when I saw that he had vanished.

And now, I was looking around dimly-lit rooms and halls, looking for the missing prince. It would have been easier to find him if several other people hadn't dressed up as bikers. I looked at my watch. 11:45 PM-- almost midnight. _Have we been at the party that long? _I wondered… of course, time tends to fly when you're getting lost in crowds of people. I saw Ashley Tang, a girl who was in my Biology class, and asked her if she'd seen Danny, and described him. "No… who are you?" was her reply.

"Never mind," I sighed, and kept pushing through the crowd. I saw a circle of people standing around a coffee table, chanting something, and decided to check it out---

---but Chrys had grabbed me by the shoulder and stopped me. "Hey, dude, how are you liking the party?" She said, keeping close to me.

"Um… fine, but I gotta find my friend and get home," I replied, backing away from her, but she pulled me close.

"What's the rush? You're not on a curfew, are you? That would be _so_ lame… even on a weekend!"

"No, I'm not on a curfew, I just---"

"Prince! Prince! Prince! Prince!" The chanting grew louder, and something churned in my gut.

"I gotta go!" I pulled away from my sister and ran over to the crowd, where I saw a kid in a Zorro costume and a kid in a biker costume both chugging cans of beer--- **beer?! **"Oh, shit…" I realized that the kid in the biker costume was Danny.

"Y'know, (hic) after my castle caught fire, I jumped in a river…" Danny said, and I could tell he had way too much to drink. "An' after that… (belch) I met Rudy-- hey, Rudy! Have your evil (hic) twins found ya yet?! Heh heh…"

"Did he just call you 'Rudy'?" Someone said to me, and I cringed. It was Chris, and Chrys was standing right next to him!

"That's it. C'mon," I said, then grabbed Danny by the arm and pulled him through the crowd, vowing to never take a prince to a wild, dysfunctional party again. I looked back, seeing that the twins were pushing through the crowd, trying to get to us. Luckily, we were able to squeeze past people better than they could, and I thanked God for making me the youngest in our family.

We reached the front door and I pulled him out, looking for the moped. _Let's see… he parked it along here… _I thought, then froze. There was an empty spot by the curb… the same spot he parked the vehicle! _Great, first he and a talking cat steal it, now someone else stole it! How could it get any worse?!_

"There he is!" I heard someone yell, and I turned and saw the twins running toward us.

"Hey, you guys!" Danny said dumbly, waving to my siblings.

"Shut up and c'mon!" I snapped, and pulled him along as we ran down the sidewalk and around the corner. There, I saw the moped, and some girl with jet-black hair, emerald-green eyes, wearing a long-sleeved, long black dress was standing right next to it.

"Need a ride?" she asked.

"What the-- how'd you--?!"

She climbed on. "Just get on before those twins catch you," She tossed me a helmet.

"But--- you can only fit two people on there, and I have to take him home," I pointed to Danny, who was petting a fire hydrant.

"So, put him in there," She pointed to a passenger car attached to the moped. How did that get there?

"Where are you?!" I heard Chris shout.

I knew you should never ride with strangers, but I also knew that it was more dangerous to stick around the twins. I helped Danny climb into the passenger car and buckled him in, and the girl revved up the moped. I quickly jumped on and we sped off down the street, just in time for the twins to run around the corner.

"Hey… you're supposed to be wearing a helmet!" I said to the girl, noticing her road-safety violation.

She laughed. "Vampires don't need helmets, my friend." she said. "We're well coordinated." As if to prove her point, she took a sharp turn--- sharp enough to make the moped lean all the way to the side, so that are faces were almost touching the pavement and Danny was right above us. I screamed. "Ha ha! Have no fear, my friend," After the turn, we were balanced on the moped again. "I've never wrecked a vehicle, and I don't plan to."

"Did… you say you were… a vampire?!" I stammered, clinging on to her.

She nodded. "Yes. My name is Brittany Isabella Bellson, but you can just call me Izzy."

"Um, okay, Izzy… why did you take our moped?"

She laughed again. "I did not take your moped, I merely just moved it to where none of those drunken minors wouldn't steal it or crash into it. Ugh, I can't stand such recklessness,"

"Hey… Are you related to Dracula?" Danny asked, still wasted.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "They always ask that… NO." She looked over her shoulder at me. "Where do you live?"

"Um… on Baker Street."

"Ah, I like that part of the neighborhood-- not too exotic, yet not too ghetto." She turned the moped again, a bit gentler this time. Cruising slowly down the street, she came to a stop on the corner of my block. "Here we are,"

"Uh, thank you, Izzy." I got off and grabbed Danny, taking off his helmet after I took off mine, handing them both to the vampire. She took them and placed them in the passenger car. "By the way, where did you get the passenger car?"

She shrugged. "I snatched it off a motorcycle." I stared at her in shock, and she laughed even more. "Don't worry, I don't plan to keep it! It looks lousy on this moped, anyway."

"Almost as lousy as you!" Danny said, then burst out laughing. I elbowed him in the ribs to shut up. "Ow."

But she took no offense. "I think your friend needs to sleep off his drunk." She revved up the motorcycle. "Better get him home-- and make sure he doesn't choke on his puke." She then leaned over and pecked me on the cheek. "Bye, my Prince in disguise."

"Um… bye, my Vampire Escape," I said dumbly. She laughed and drove off, making a U-turn and driving back the way we came. I touched my cheek, where she kissed me. I didn't know how she found us, why she helped us, or why she even kissed me, but I decided to think about it later.

"Blaurgh!!" I heard Danny throwing up in the bushes, and I took Izzy's advice and made sure he didn't choke on his vomit. He kept throwing up for another five minutes, until he stopped. "Ugh… I don't feel good…"

"Well, that should teach you to keep away from the alcohol." I wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and held his waist, guiding him back to my house. When we reached the front door, I tried the knob--- realizing the door was locked and I didn't have my house key. "Oh, double shit. Now what?!"

"Maybe you should try a secret (burp) word," Danny let out a laugh.

I sneered at him. "Like what? 'Open Sesame'?!"

Suddenly the door opened, making my heart skip a beat… and there stood Radio. "Well, look who decided to come home!" she said.

"What the-- how the-- wh---" I paused, sighing and shaking my head. "Never mind." I drug Danny inside, deciding to skip the question of why a talking cat was in my house. I lead Danny to my room and sat him on my bed, taking off his jacket and shoes. He chuckled and smiled at me, then collapsed on the bed, breathing softly. I sighed and covered him with the blanket, making sure he would be comfortable after his hangover hit. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. Midnight.

"Your brother and sister are home." Radio said, looking out the window. I quickly turned out the lights, stripped off my costume (throwing it in the closet) and dove into my bed. I covered up Danny's head to hide him, then pretended to be asleep. "I'll be back." And I heard Radio run quickly out of the room.

Ten minutes later, I heard the door downstairs swing open, and then the twins came up to my room. "Maybe we were just hearing things," I heard Chris whisper. "The faggot's in bed---"

"But I _knew_ I saw him at that party!" Chrys hissed. "He had the same voice and same name!"

"There's no way he could have gone to that party and made it back home in under fifteen minutes."

"He probably hitched a ride with his biker-friend!"

"Chrys, calm down. Rudy wouldn't go to a party he wasn't invited to-- he knows the _consequences_ well enough not to. Besides, where would he find a costume like that? And how could he get back inside the house if he doesn't have a house key?"

Chrys sighed irritably. "Fine, it wasn't Rudy… but I know I've seen that kid somewhere before!"

"Whatever. Lets just get back to the party before the cops get there,"

"What makes you think the cops will…" Their voices drained out as they walked away, shutting the door as they did.

A few minutes later I heard a car start outside, and the twins drove off. I sighed, thanking God that they didn't see Danny, and I uncovered his face. His face--- the most beautiful face I have ever seen, and I smiled, watching the prince sleep. "Goodnight, Danny," I whispered. Without thinking, I wrapped my arm around him, snuggling closer to him.

I heard purring, and saw Radio asleep on his stomach, curled up in a ball. I chuckled softly, closing my eyes. That night, I dreamed about Izzy swinging on the tire-swing tied to the tree on the hill beside the creek.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Jimmy came to, seeing that it was still dark outside, but he was in the cell. He rubbed his aching head, still feeling dizzy, and tried to sit up, but a hand pushed him down. "Lie still," Someone whispered, and he saw Lilly right beside him. "Don't move around so much, or else the nausea will get worse. …Man, boy, didn't anyone ever tell ya not to stare at a Gorgon?! What's next, cutting off Hydra heads?!"

"Ugh, what happened?" Jimmy asked, knowing right then talking only increased his dizziness.

"I heard about a fight in the courtyard-- 'course, you probably already know about that."

"After the fight? Oy…" he rubbed his head again.

"Rubbing won't help, boy, just lie still and I'll tell ya everything. …Lets see, after the fight the warden chewed you boys out, and ya'll had to come in. I was sitting on the railing, watching all the prisoners walk by, and I saw you collapse on the stairs. Man, I was so scared! I got to thinking, 'Oh, Lordy no! One of them poison-emitting creatures must've got to him!' But then Silver explained about Meds, so the guards didn't throw your body to the harpies-- thank God. Anyway, then that werewolf did the most sweetest thing-- he carried you up the steps! The guards protested, but Silver said he could handle it, and promised not to throw you over the railing--- like he did with that warlock who accidentally ate his own poisoned apple! The other prisoners gave him a look, but he told them, 'It's not MY fault the guards are too lazy to carry a twerp up a few thousand stairs!' and boy, they got kick out of that-- the guards zapped him with their cattle prods, but he didn't care."

"Silver… carried _me_ back here?"

"Heck yes he did!" She leaned in close to Jimmy. "And-- don't tell the other monsters I said this-- but I think he likes you. Not in a romantic way… but like in a fatherly way. Don't say a word, he wouldn't want anyone to think he has a soft spot."

Jimmy sneered. "You can count on that--- I don't believe it."

Lilly shrugged. "Well, believe what you want to, but it's the truth. For now, just lie still, and I'll go tell the medical pixies you're up." She got up, jumped in the air and dove right through the floor, leaving Jimmy alone.

He looked around the room, wondering where Silver was at. _Probably tried to throw me over the rail and is getting chewed out by the warden, now. _he thought, and couldn't help but chuckle at the image of the werewolf throwing a warlock down the stairs.

A little light floated through the wall, and it then turned into a small, elf-like creature with wings, wearing brown pants, a green sweater, and sporting a cap with a red cross on it. It looked old, with wrinkles and white hair. "Ah, so you're the one who stared at a Gorgon and lived, eh?" The pixie chuckled. "Well, let's have a look at you," He floated up to Jimmy's mouth. "Say 'ah',"

"You're kidding, right?" Jimmy asked, arching an eyebrow.

The pixie twiddled his fingers, making sparkles appear. "Want me to open it myself?"

"Alright! Alright!" Jimmy opened his mouth, and the pixie took out a tiny tongue depressor, looking inside. Jimmy had the urge to close his mouth, but he didn't want to know what pixies tasted like.

"Well, (cough, cough) everything seems fine, except for that rancid breath of yours." The pixie waved his hand and a small vial appeared, filled with blue liquid. "Now, drink this. It'll help clear up the nausea."

Jimmy scowled, but drank the potion. He hacked and coughed at its awful taste-- like earwax and rotten cabbage-- and wiped his tongue, trying to get rid of the taste. "Blech! That's worse than Nyquil!" he sputtered.

The pixie chuckled. "Ah, you kids and your medicines. Well, I'd better be off--- there's a sick gargoyle in cell 378," And he turned back into a light. "Oh, and you'd better get off of Silver before he wakes up, kid. I don't think werewolves like it when you use them as pillows." And he flew through the door and vanished.

"Huh?"

Right then and there, Jimmy noticed that his head was resting on Silver. _Motherfu--- what the heck am I doing lying against this hairball?! _he thought. He saw a burn mark on the werewolf's side, and some of the fur was burnt. He remembered what Lilly said about the guards zapping him, and about the werewolf carrying him up the stairs…

…And stepping in when Meds tried to 'stone' him…

…And teaching him how to fight…

…And saving him from Ace…

…And now here he was, lying against Silver, and noticing one of _his_ blankets was covering him, while he-- no, both of them-- lied on top of the other. Jimmy sighed. "I guess Lilly is right… You're not so bad as they say," he said, referring to Silver, but wasn't expecting an answer.

"You'd better believe it, Jimbo." Came an answer from Silver. Jimmy gasped and tried to sit up, but the dizziness swept over him and he couldn't move. He heard Silver chuckle. "Get some rest, Jim. I don't want you puking on my blankets."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Danny's POV**

The last time I saw Rudy, he was going into a bathroom, and wanted me to stay out in the hall and wait for him. I leaned against the wall, acting casual, when a boy-- possibly a senior, I guess-- came up and offered me a drink. "Hey, dude, wanna mingle with us?" he asked, motioning to a few other guys.

"Um… my friend wants me to wait for him," I replied, handing back the drink. "And I'm not thirsty."

"Hey, it's cool dude, it's cool. We can mingle right here." Another boy said, then handed me a can. "As for the 'drink' part, you gotta try this! Craig Martin was able to sneak it in!"

I looked at the label on the can, unable to read it in the dim light. "What is it?"

"'What is it'?! Another teenage boy laughed. "It's only the most radical drink on the planet! Try it out!"

I smelled the drink, and the stench didn't seem good, but I took a small sip anyway, and the taste was a bit better that the smell. I drank a bit more of it, licking my lips. "Thanks," I drank a little more… and more… and more… and next thing I know, the can was empty. "Wow, I must have been thirsty…"

"Damn! This kid knows how to chug!" The first teenage boy laughed, patting me hard on the back.

The second shook his head. "Nah, I doubt he could beat Mikey." he said.

"Wanna bet?! How 'bout it, kid?"

"Um… I guess, maybe…" I replied.

"Great! Lets go!" And they began pulling me away.

"Wait! I gotta---" but my voice was drained out by the music in the room they dragged me in, and they sat me down on a couch next to a guy who was drinking the canned beverages like there was no tomorrow.

"Mikey, you got a challenger!" The third teenager said.

"Oh yeah? Lets see what you've got!" Mikey said, and started 'chugging'.

A lot of people were standing around, watching me and chanting, "Go! Go! Go! Go!" so I grabbed a can and started drinking. Then I grabbed another after that…

By my fifth can, I finally realized I was drinking alcohol, but I forgot about the penalty of DUI after getting a buzz in the back of my head. I grabbed another can, and everything went blank after that.

Now, I was waking up, feeling sick… and stupid. Why didn't I turn down the drink? Why did I let them drag me into a chugging contest? Why did I abandon my friend to do something incredibly---

Rudy. I forgot about Rudy! _Damn it! How much dumber am I going to get?! _I scolded myself, slapping my forehead-- which didn't help the dizziness go away. I had a disgusting taste in my mouth, and my first guess was that I had vomited out the brain-drain elixir. …I then noticed I was lying down in a bed, and Radio was on my stomach--- and Rudy was right beside me, his arm wrapped around me. I didn't know how we got back, and I didn't care-- what mattered was that I was with my friend again, away from that disturbing party and somewhere peaceful.

I took Rudy's hand in mine. "I'm sorry, Rudy… I'll never leave you again," I promised him in a whisper, and felt tears run down my cheeks at the thought of what could have happened if we weren't with each other now.

"There, there," Radio whispered, using her tail to wipe away my tears. "It'll be alright, Daniel."

"But---"

"Shh," she pressed her paw to my lips. "Rest now, young prince. We will talk in the morning." She curled back up on my stomach.

I sighed and listened to her, closing my eyes. I wrapped my arm around Rudy, remembering my promise and holding him close.

A/N: Touching, ain't it? ………….Review, please! Flames are for those who roast weenies on camping trips, so give them to those peoples--- ACK! (ducks rotten fruit)-- and non-peoples.


	12. Chapter 12: Unsuspected Surprises

Alright, lets get to the good stuff, shall we?

_Reviewer Thanks (a lot!)_

Starspring: Thanks for the creatures, and hopefully I'll find a way to actually show them in the story, rather than mention them, and don't worry-- they were cooler than I expected ;)

Rosie: You, my friend, are correct! …But, that's only HALF of Jimmy's life.

Time to shape up the contest a bit-- whoever can guess the second half of Jimmy's life AND figure out what fairy-tale Radio resembles, gets to appear as a guest character in the story! Here is one hint: they're both ideas from Disney movies (…Anyone ever notice that most of their movies revolve around fairy tales?)

*Answers will be given at the end of the story*

Jimmy sat up after another hour of sleep, realizing that the pixie's vile formula had actually worked, for his nausea was gone, and he felt like his old self again. He looked over and saw that Silver was still lying down, possibly asleep… and that the blanket was folded over, revealing a small corner of a paper. Jimmy got off the blanket and folded it all the way back-- careful not to wake Silver-- and noticed that there were several newspaper articles under it… and they were all about his mom!

_Jan. 15-- Father and inventor, Don Krook, creates formula to get rid of pet allergies, and prepares to set off to sign over the antidote to medical professionals in Cincinnati. His daughters-- Amy, Sophie, and Ashley Krook, are very proud of their father. "It helps us get over what happened to Ashley last year…" Sophie said, referring to the kidnapping of her youngest sister… _The article ended there, the rest was torn away.

_Something happened to Mom? _Jimmy thought, horrified, and picked up another article, hoping it continued. Sadly, it was a different article…

_April 16-- Ashley Krook, after her traumatizing experience, publishes her first children's book, "The Little Princess and the Haunted Castle", where a small princess explores a haunted castle and makes friends with the creepy creatures that live in it…_

_Mom wrote a __**book**__? _Jimmy thought, amazed that his mother was an author for a children's book, but never said anything. _What else did she hide from me? _His answer was given when he picked up another article…

_May 17-- Award-winning hunting champion, Rupert Castallan, tracked down the whereabouts of Ashley Krook, who was said to have been missing all winter. They found her being held hostage by, what the police said to be, "The most frightening, evil, treacherous creature that was made by the devil himself,". They called in special authorities to capture the beast and sent the Krook woman to the hospital, after seeing how delusional she had become, claiming that the monster could do no harm… _

_Nah, it couldn't be! …Could it? _Jimmy wondered, looking at Silver. _Was he actually telling the truth? …Did he really know my mom?_

Suddenly, a slot in the door opened and two trays were slid in, making a metallic screech across the stone floor. Jimmy gasped and covered the newspaper articles, looking behind him to make sure no one had come in. Thankfully, no one did, and he noticed that there was food on the trays-- a steak on one, and a bowl of some sloppy substance in the other. He began walking over to the trays, but a yawn from behind made him pause, and he watched as Silver stood up and stretched, then walked over to the tray with the steak on it. "About time they served lunch," the werewolf muttered, grabbing the steak and devouring it.

Jimmy looked out the window, noticing it was still dark out. "They serve lunch at _night_?" he questioned.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Duh, crackhead. This is a prison for nocturnal creatures, remember? Anything that goes on in a normal prison--" he paused, ripping off a chunk of his steak and swallowing it. "--happens at night in this one." He ended his sentence with a belch.

"Right…" Jimmy grabbed the bowl of glop in front of him and sniffed it-- and gagged at the rancid stench. "Ugh, what did they put in this stuff? Shit and sweat socks?"

"It tastes better than it looks and smells," Lilly said, appearing next to Jimmy suddenly.

"Whoa!" Jimmy almost dropped the bowl, then turned to Lilly. "Geez, can't you give a guy a warning before you sneak up like that?"

Lilly giggled. "Sorry."

"Lilly's right, Jimbo-- that gunk's not so bad as you think… I know, I had to eat it for six months straight before they found out werewolves preferred meat." Silver said, taking another bite out of his steak. "Go on, boy, have a taste."

Jimmy looked at the glop, taking up a spoonful of it. His stomach growled, and he knew that he had to eat sooner or later to keep his strength up. _Oh, well. I'm going to die anyway in this damn prison sooner or later, anyway. _he thought. "What goes down, must come up," he sighed, then stuck the spoon in his mouth and swallowed quickly. He coughed and sputtered at the foul taste, but the aftertaste didn't make him feel so sick. Taking another spoonful, it tasted less disgusting, but still made him gag, but he forced himself to choke it down anyway, until the bowl was half-empty. "I thought you said it wasn't so bad…"

"It's not… once you get used to it." Silver then laughed, making Jimmy glare at him.

Lilly sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, cut it out, Silver. You're not much of a cook either." she said.

Silver sneered at her. "I'll have you know that I could out-cook anyone on kitchen duty… with one arm tied behind my back!"

"Yeah-- in a poison-making contest!"

Silver growled and tried to grab Lilly, passing right through her and making her giggle. "Would you stay solid for one second so I can catch you?"

"Where's the fun in getting caught?" Lilly giggled and began to fade. "I'll see you guys later, I'm going to go visit the Sirens now-- they enjoy my company more." And she disappeared.

"She's right about that," Jimmy sighed, looking out the window at the moon and stars.

"About the Sirens liking her more than we do?" Silver scoffed.

"No, dip-shit-- about getting caught." Jimmy stared out at the dark forest that extended from the prison fence and into the horizon. "The first time I got caught, I had broken into a drug-store to get a few snacks, but the cops wouldn't send me straight to Juvi-- they had some fun with me first: took me out to the nearest, deserted field and beat the shit out of me until I either threw up or they broke something, I forgot which came first. I thought they'd go easy on you if you were an orphan, but apparently it gave them the feeling that-- no matter what they did to me-- no one would care. I never trusted a cop-- even when I saw a guy get mugged, I didn't go to them for help, knowing they wouldn't do shit for a juvenile orphan." he sighed and looked down. "I wish they killed me back in that field…"

"Alright, the childhood story is one thing, but I'd say you should cut the crap at the death-wish part."

Jimmy turned sharply and glared at him. "Well, why not? If they killed me, I wouldn't have struggled to survive on the streets, stealing for the sake of my own life, and ended up in this shit-hole of a prison, full of monsters-- two of which want to kill me! I'd rather be dead than be a criminal in a monster-house! I'd… I'd…" he turned away, looking back out the window, at the starry sky. "I'd rather be with _her_…"

Silver set down the last bit of his steak, then put a paw on Jimmy's shoulder. "And what do you think your mother would say if she heard you talking like that? Why, she'd put soap in your mouth for talking shit like that!" He turned Jimmy so that the boy faced him. "Listen to me, James Krook, you may have messed up your life so far, but that doesn't mean you can't try to make things right! You can get out of here, find someone who will take care of you, start your life all over and actually do something that'll make your mother in heaven smile with pride at raising such a fine young man! You need to lose the attitude, and show the world what you're capable of! …And hopefully, I'll have busted out of prison in time to see the light of glory shine on you, and catch some of it as well."

Jimmy looked at him, stunned that Silver-- the werewolf who acted like he didn't give a damn about him-- actually told him that he had a chance to make his life better. He sighed and sank down to the floor. "Yeah… but how the heck am I going to do that, if the rest of those goons think I'm that Roscoe guy, and won't let me out until I rot?"

Silver smiled, holding up a set of keys. "…With the help of a little something I snagged off the guards after you collapsed on the stairs."

Jimmy's eyes widened, and he chuckled, impressed. Silver never ceased to amaze him.

_*Thump!*_

Radio's ears perked up, hearing a noise. She looked around the room, investigating where the sound came from. She climbed off the bed and leaped toward the window, looking outside to see if anyone was stalking about, but nothing stirred. Shrugging, she turned to go back to bed---

--coming face-to-face with a girl with long, black hair, wearing a long black dress with long sleeves that seemed slashed at the wrists, just like the rim of the dress. "Izzy!" Radio gasped, arching her back and letting out a quiet hiss. "What are YOU doing here?"

"I just stopped by to make sure the two boys got home all right." Izzy replied, smiling at Rudy and Danny, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it next to the young prince. "It took me a while to pin-point what street they lived on. I grew a bit worried after the young prince vomited."

Radio sneered at the vampire. "Don't you ever grow tired of stalking people?"

Izzy shrugged. "Only when their lives seem boring. These two, however…" she stroked Danny's head. "…They seem like they've got quite a journey ahead of them." She smiled at Radio. "Did you ever consider one of them might be, 'the one'?"

Radio glared at her. "If you came here to ridicule me, I suggest you leave…"

But Izzy just laughed. "You haven't asked the favor, have you? What's the matter? Afraid you might end up disappointed, again?"

"I said 'out'!" Radio bared her teeth and claws. "…Or do I have to show you out myself? I know how dangerous cats can be to vampires…"

Izzy sighed and shook her head. "Tsk-tsk-tsk. Is that how you treat an old friend?"

"Friend? Bah! You're the one who got me into this mess in the first place! Unless you've come to show remorse…"

The vampire glared and hissed at her, grabbing her by the gruff of the neck. "Don't think that I don't show remorse for the pain I bare for you, Nadine!" She dropped her onto the bed and walked over to the window. "I'll be watching you… and you'd better ask the favor _soon_, before you lose that prince." And, in a poof of smoke, she vanished.

Radio sighed, looking at Rudy and Danny. _She's right… I must ask one of them soon… _she thought. _I'll ask them tomorrow-- yes, that's it! After breakfast, I'll tell them that I request a bit of gratitude for helping them… _She lied down, curling up at the foot of the bed. _Tomorrow, and no later. …I just hope one of them is the right one…_

A/N: What's Silver's plan for escape, and what kind of favor does Radio request, and what kind of link does she share with Izzy, and WHEN WILL THE THREE BOYS MEET? Review, and hopefully we'll find out. Flames are for witches at the stake.


	13. Chapter 13: Escaped and Captured

And now, let's put the boys through a hard time, shall we? (evil chuckle)

Reviewer Thanks

Starspring: You're correct on Radio's part, as for Jimmy's part… not even close, BUT it may have inspired something for the story ;) Keep trying, you've got it so far!

_*Thud!*_

The sound jolted both the boys awake. "Waugh!" They both yelped, sitting up in bed… realizing that they still had their arms around each other. "Augh!" They let go of each other and backed away, blushing like crazy.

"What are you two yelling about?" Radio asked.

"W-we heard a loud thud," Rudy said, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Danny, embarrassed.

"It came from outside," Danny added, looking out the window. It was early morning, possible 3 AM, and still dark.

Radio stretched. "It was probably just a bird hitting the window," she said, but wasn't convinced herself, remembering how Izzy had been able to sneak into the house. "But, we'd better check it out anyway, just in case,"

The boys and cat walked down the hall toward the front door. On the way out they passed the living room, where Rudy saw that Chris and Chrys both passed out on the couch, slumped shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, still in their costumes. He snuck over and draped a blanket over them snugly, then continued to follow the others out to the front yard, closing the door behind him.

They walked across the yard, looking into the bushes for any clue to what made the sound. Radio gazed around the yard, thinking it was probably Izzy pulling a prank-- a trait many young vampires tended to have; Rudy suspected that it was probably another cruel prank his siblings set up, trying to scare him out of a year's growth… again; and Danny, of course, believed it to be Jacque or one of the villain's allies, sneaking around in search for him. "I don't see anything, do you?" Rudy whispered, stepping closer to Danny.

"No. Perhaps Radio is right, maybe it was just a---" Danny began to say, but suddenly someone grabbed him from behind, tying a gag around his mouth while someone else tied his hands behind his back.

"Danny!" Rudy ran over to help, but someone jumped him then bound and gagged him too.

Radio hissed, jumping onto one of the attacker's shoulders and scratching his black-masked face. He cried out in aggravated pain, then grabbed Radio by the scruff of her neck and threw her against the house, where she fell into the bushes. "We've got the prince," One of the masked-men said into a walkie-talkie.

"Good, take them-a to ze river." A French voice said from the other end. "You will know what to do with them from there-a."

"Yes, sir." The man turned to the rest of his allies, four of which had a grip on Danny and Rudy. "Take them to the river."

"C'mon, 'your highness'," One of the men chuckled, roughly pushing Danny forward. "You and your girlfriend are going for a swim."

"I'm a girl!" Rudy snapped, but from his gag, it sounded more like, "Hi'm ah hurl!"

"Shut up and move it, tootsie," The man who had a hold of Rudy snapped, shoving him forward.

Radio watched from the bushes, seeing a van pull up and the men shoved the two boys in. "I've got to stop them," she said, running toward the van and jumping onto the bumper as it began to drive up, but she was unable to hang on and fell off when the vehicle hit a bump. She fell onto the pavement, watching as her two comrades were taken away from her. "Oh, damn…"

8-8-8

"Excuse me, guard," Jimmy said, looking through the barred window at the two kretins. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Tough. Ya can hold it," The kretin with red hair scoffed.

"But, sir, I really, really, really, really…"

_25 "Really's" later…_

"…REALLY really---"

"ALL RIGHT!" The kretin with brown hair roared, holding up his cattle prod to Jimmy's face. "One more 'really' out of you and I'll--- HEY!" Jimmy had grabbed the cattle prod, pulling it through the bars. The kretin tried to pull back, but the kid was stronger than he looked… of course, he didn't see the werewolf paws that were helping the kid pull, and suddenly he lost his grip on the cattle prod (not noticing the invisible help that was used to make the handle fade through his grasp. "What the Hades?"

"Okay, that's it!" The other kretin snarled, opening the door. "Give it back before I---"

*BZZZT!*

"WAUGH!" The kretin flew back, his body tingling from the electrocution from the prod.

"What the Davy-- ACK!" The other kretin yelped, getting shocked with his own stick.

Silver grabbed the two kretins, throwing them into the cell and locking the door. "C'mon, kid, now it's time for the fun part," he said to Jimmy as they ran down the hall. Lilly appeared and grabbed the werewolf's hand, making him invisible so that Jimmy could cause a diversion.

"Hey, you guys!" Jimmy called at two guards as he ran past them. "I just performed my first trick-- getting out of my cell! Ha ha!"

"Hey!" One of the guards by the cell shouted. It was an ogre with a club, but that didn't intimidate Jimmy-- until he swung his club at the boy, which he barely dodged.

"Hey, batter-batter! Hey, batter-batter! Hey-bat, hey batter-batter SWING!" Jimmy dodged another swing. "Nyah! Nyah! You missed, lunkhead!"

The guards from down the hall left their posts to assist their comrades, not noticing that a small set of cell keys were unlocking all the cell doors. One of them, a cat-creature, grabbed Jimmy from behind and held his arms behind his back, keeping him from trying to pull any antics.

But that wouldn't work, Jimmy knew, grinning as he felt a chill wrapping around his ankles. "And now, for my next trick, I will disappear!" And disappear he did as Lilly turned him invisible and pulled him down through the floor and back up again around the corner, where they met Silver, who held up three fingers. "3... 2... 1..." he counted down in a whisper, then looked around the corner and shouted. "JAIL BREAK!"

Suddenly, all the cell doors flew open, and several large, hideous monsters burst out, running down the hall and startling the rest of the guards, who chased after them, giving Silver and Jimmy a chance to escape. But they didn't use the stairs or the elevators, but did something more drastic (and stupid): They jumped over the railing, pin-pointing their landing on a couple of chairs. Silver landed first, then caught Jimmy in his arms, setting him down. "Thanks, now lets get outta here!" Jimmy said, and they ran toward the front doors…

…Which were blocked by the warden, who wasn't so happy. "Alright, you two, this is the last straw-- especially for YOU, Silver," She said, taking out a gun and loading it with bullets-- silver bullets. "When people push Amelia Smollet over the edge, there ARE consequences… and you're about to find out what they are." She aimed the gun at the werewolf.

"NO!" Jimmy ran up and tackled her, risking the fact that she had turned the gun on him and pulled the trigger, but the bullet was only able to graze his arm.

Silver looked behind him, seeing a swarm of guards running toward them. "Time to go!" he said, grabbing Jimmy by the back of the shirt and running outside into the night.

"AFTER THEM!" He heard the warden bellow, which only made him run faster.

"There's a river not far from here." A voice said beside him, and he noticed that Lilly was running by him. "Just get across it-- the water will hide your scent-- and follow it South, there's a town twenty miles down it where you'll be able to hide out." She looked at Jimmy, noticing his bleeding arm. "And find someone who can treat his wound."

"What wound?" Jimmy scoffed, clutching his arm, ignoring the pain. "This is just a cut,"

"That ain't nothing but an infection waiting to happen, boy." They heard shouts behind them, knowing that the warden and the guards were after them. "I got to go, now."

"You don't have to. They'll kill you if they find out you helped us---" he paused, remembering that Lilly was already dead. "Well, they'll do something horrible to you, anyway."

Lilly giggled. "Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

Silver arched an eyebrow at her. "You just helped two criminals escape," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "No, I helped two innocent people who were sent to Pent Towers for no reason escape. Besides, nobody saw me…"

"Don't go back, Lilly," Jimmy said, his voice almost pleading. "We might still need you. Plus, there's nothing in that prison for you but a bunch of monsters for you to visit. I doubt you'll find a way to Heaven in that place,"

Lilly grinned. "You like me, don't you?"

"What? I didn't say that!"

"No… But why else would you want me to stay?" She giggled again.

"Like I said, we may still need you…"

"Say it. Say you like me!"

"But I don't---"

"Say it, or I'm going back to Pent Towers…"

"Just say it, kid!" Silver snapped, looking back and hoping the yapping wasn't attracting the guards.

Jimmy sighed irritably. "Damn it, you're good. …*Sigh* Fine, I like you. Now, will you just come with us?"

"What's the magic word?" Lilly said in a sing-song tone.

Jimmy grumbled. "…Please?"

"Okay!" Lilly disappeared, and Jimmy wondered if she was still with them. His answer was given when he felt a chill wrap around him in a hug-like manner.

They reached the river, and Jimmy and Silver both jumped in, holding their breaths. River water got into Jimmy's wound, but he didn't dare make a sound from the stinging sensation, but instead gripped Silver's arm. The werewolf pulled him upward and onto his back, setting his hand on his shoulders, a motion telling Jimmy to hang on. The boy hung on tight, and Silver began swimming down the river underwater.

Looking behind him, he noticed that a couple of fish-like monsters had jumped into the river and were swimming after them. _Oh, shit, _Jimmy thought, poking Silver's head to get his attention, then pointing back at the sea-creatures.

_Oh, shit. _Silver thought, and he began to swim faster, but the guards were catching up to them, able to swim much more quicker than he could.

Suddenly, the current seemed to change, giving Silver more of a push ahead, and the sea-creatures paused, horror in their eyes, and began swimming the other way. Jimmy would have smiled, if he didn't see what had scared them off-- they were heading straight toward a water-fall! Silver swam up to the surface, and they both gasped for air and tried to swim back, but the current was too strong, plus the only other way involved going back to Pent Towers, and possibly going on death row. "Hang on, kid, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Silver said to Jimmy, and the teenager hung on to him tighter.

They went over the edge, seeing pointed rocks at the bottom. "Aw_, c'mon_!" Jimmy yelled as they fell…

8-8-8

Izzy watched as the two figures fell over the edge and gasped. The boy, she didn't know, but the werewolf she recognized. "Everywhere I go, someone needs my help," she muttered, then ran and jumped off the cliff, spreading her bat-like wings. "Hang on, master! I've gotcha!" she swooped down and grabbed the werewolf's arm, just before they hit the rocks. Flapping her bat-wings hard, she pulled them away from the sharp rocks, but the weight was-- even if she was a vampire-- too great for her, and her grip began to slip.

"Here, let me help you," A voice said, and suddenly a dark-skinned girl in a knitted cap and old-fashioned night-gown with short sleeves was right beside her, hanging on to the werewolf and helping her bring him and the boy closer to land, where they set them in a patch of tall grass. "Hide them here, so the guards won't see them."

"What guards?"

The mysterious girl pointed up at the cliff, where a group of monsters in uniforms were looking down at the river, searching for-- Izzy guessed-- the werewolf and boy. "Those guards. If they catch Silver and Jimmy, they'll face death-row for causing a jail-break and escaping."

"Who are you, and how do you know my master and this boy?" Izzy asked the girl, arching an eyebrow. "And… Why do I sense the smell of death on you?"

The girl pushed back a strand of her raven-black hair. "My name is Lilly, and I helped them escape. I know they're innocent-- the boy is human and doesn't belong in Pent Towers, and Silver was accused of a crime he did not commit."

Izzy looked down at Silver and the boy, Jimmy, who had passed out and was bleeding at the arm. The blood was tempting to the vampire, but she resisted-- she was a vegetarian, after all. Silver sat down by Jimmy, sitting him up and keeping him close, and he looked at Izzy, curiously. "You look familiar… Do I know you?" he asked her.

"Don't you recognize me, master? I'm Izzy-- the daughter of Patricia, your old maid, remember?" Izzy replied.

"Izzy? …Wow, you've really grown since I last saw you--- I mean, sheesh, last I saw you, you were only a baby! …Wait, how can you remember me?"

Izzy chuckled. "Vampire infants remember many things-- especially a group of huntsmen breaking into her home…" her expression turned dark and she clenched her fists. "… and killed her friends and family. …I'm surprised YOU are still alive, master."

Silver scoffed, shaking his head. "Izz, I'm not your 'master' anymore, so you don't have to address me as that. Just call me 'Silver'."

The vampire smiled and snickered. "Living by your sea-name, aren't you mas-- I mean, Silver?"

The werewolf grinned. "Aye, an' ye better git used tah it!" he said in an Irish accent, and he, Lilly, and Izzy got a laugh out of it.

"I loved it when you did that… before…" Izzy's face saddened. "…before that sorcerer cursed us all."

Silver cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, and when I get my hands-- er, paws-- on him…"

"Get some other men on the other side and search over there!" They heard a woman's stern voice order from across the river.

"We'd better get out of here," Lilly said, and they began running downstream, ducking in the tall grass to remain hidden. Silver carried Jimmy on his back, who seemed to cling to him in his unconscious state, his face twisted in what seemed like… hurt. Izzy couldn't help but wonder what kind of link Silver had with the boy, and what caused the lad to seem in so much pain-- she knew it had to be more than his arm.

8-8-8

The van reached the field, and the masked men pushed Danny and Rudy out, making them fall on their faces, which the villains laughed at. When they got on their knees, Danny gasped, seeing Jacques stand before him, grinning evilly. "Well, my little prince… How about a swim-a?" he said.

Danny shouted muffled curses at the fiend, struggling with his bonds to get free, but it was no use. The men dragged them over to the river, tying heavy rocks to their feet, then throwing them into the river to drown. Danny heard Rudy let out a muffled, high-pitched shriek before they hit the water, which turned into a bubbled scream once they sunk under. They reached the bottom, struggling to get free, but knew that wasting their energy would only result to them losing the last breaths they had. Danny looked down sadly, knowing that there was nothing they could do…. Until he saw that he was floating right beside a rusty old car hood, its sharp edge facing him! Twisting his body, he rubbed the rope on his hands against the edge, sawing away his bonds, all the while trying hard not to breath in any water.

Within two minutes of holding his breath, the rope was cut and his hands were free, and he untied his feet and the gag from his mouth, then quickly swam over to help Rudy-- who looked as if he was on the verge of losing his breath! Without hesitation, he untied his feet and hands, freeing him. They began heading up to the surface, but he paused, knowing Jacque was probably still up there. He grabbed Rudy's hand and pointed down the river, hinting him that they should go farther downstream to resist getting caught again.

Rudy pointed to his mouth, hinting the fact that he needed air-- fast! Danny grabbed him and pulled him downstream, swimming up a little, pointing upward then holding up one finger, hinting that they needed to wait another moment before they could resurface. Rudy let out a moan, hinting that he couldn't hold his breath any longer.

Finally, Danny let them resurface, letting go of Rudy's hand a moment to brush his bangs out of his face. "I think we lost them," he gasped, gulping in air. "C'mon, Rudy, we've got to get to the police and… Rudy?" He looked around, not seeing his friend anywhere. "Rudy! Where are you?" With a horrifying thought, he looked underwater-- seeing that Rudy was sinking!

"Danny…!" Rudy's voice called, releasing air-filled bubbles from his mouth. He struggled to swim up… then remembered he couldn't swim! _Damn those twins! _he thought, knowing that-- if they had let him take swimming lessons in peace-- he wouldn't be drowning now!

Danny dove down, wrapping his arms around Rudy's waist and pulling him back up to the surface, keeping his friend's head above the surface, swimming over to the bank of the river. "Don't worry, Rudy… I've got you,"

They reached the bank, and he pulled his friend onto the land. His face looked pale, and he wasn't moving. _Oh, no! No no no! _Danny thought, cupping his hands together, then pressing them hard on Rudy's chest. _No, I can't lose him! Oh, God, please don't let him die! _He listened for a heartbeat, then pressed his chest again, trying to force the water out of his system. He was thankful that he took rescue lessons from the palace lifeguard his parents hired for their pool, in case that someone was on the verge of drowning and no one else was around to help…

And, boy, was this one of those moments. Finally, he knew he had to perform CPR, opened Rudy's mouth, and pressed his lips on his friend's, breathing air back into his system. He listened for a heartbeat, then performed the mouth-to-mouth treatment again.

Rudy felt the touch of warm lips on his, but kept his eyes shut, then lifted his hand and stroked the hair of his embracer-- who gasped and stood up, and then Rudy sat up, coughing out water. "Um… was I dreaming, or did you…?" He asked Danny.

"You were drowning, so I pulled you to shore and performed CPR," Danny explained, blushing from his awkwardness.

"And CPR involves kissing?"

"It wasn't a kiss! It was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation-- totally different!"

"…Also known as 'The Kiss of Life',"

"It was NOT a kiss!"

"Okay! Okay! I was just joking!" Rudy let out a sigh, then set a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thank you. You saved my life,"

Danny gave a small smile and shrugged. "I owed it to you. You took me in… and didn't abandon me when I allowed myself to get drunk. …Speaking of which, I'm sorry for leaving your side to do such a stupid thing."

Rudy smiled and hugged him. "Apology accepted." He released the prince and stood up. "Now, c'mon, we've GOT to get the police and turn Jacque in-- and _force_ them to help us this time!"

"I'll say. If I run into any more danger, I'm gonna--"

Suddenly, they bumped into a large animal… and saw the most biggest, vicious looking wolf they had ever seen-- and screamed.

A/N: You know, during the drowning scene, I couldn't help but think of that scene from _Aladdin_ where the Genie saves his life… and during the CPR part, I couldn't help but think about that scene from _The Emperor's New Groove _where… well, if you've seen the movie, you'll get what I mean XD

Please review. Flames are nice for campfires, but not for stories.


	14. Chapter 14: They Finally Meet!

Alright, one more hint about Jimmy's other half: The story isn't based on a fairytale, but on a book by Robert Louis Stevenson which was made into an animated Disney film. If this doesn't help, nothing will!

Reviewer Thanks

Rosie: Thank you so much, and you and Starspring are both correct about Radio, and you're also right about Jimmy's mom. And… your review just inspired something for me!

Fangface the second: Will the sorcerer die? Hmm, lets see- he cursed Silver, caused the death of Izzy's parents, and is probably up to no good… Yeah, he'll probably die, but we'll see how things turn out, just in case.

Starspring: I hope my hint helps you, and I'd like to hear what you narrowed your choices down to. Glad you're not giving up, and good luck!

8-8-8

"_Jimmy…"_

"_Mom?" Jimmy cried, looking around, startled. All he saw was black, and tried to get up, but the pain in his arm kept him down. "Argh…"_

"_Don't move, Jimmy… Just lie still."_

"_Where are you? I can't see!" Jimmy winced in pain, holding his arm._

"_I'm right beside you, Jimmy… I'm always with you,"_

_Jimmy felt a gentle hand stroke his head and he relaxed. "Am I dead?"_

_His mother chuckled. "No, you just fell unconscious from losing too much blood. Don't worry, though, your father will take good care of you…"_

"_My… father?"_

"_Jimmy…" Her voice began to grow faint._

"_Mom? …Mom!" Jimmy wanted to chase after her voice, but remained still._

"_Jimmy…"_

"_Mom, please don't leave…" Tears began to form in his eyes._

"_Jimmy…"_

"_Don't go!"_

"_Jimmy…"_

8-8-8

"Jimmy!" Silver said, shaking Jimmy's good shoulder. "Wake up, kid!"

"Mom!" Jimmy gasped, sitting up. His arm hurt, and taking a close look at it he saw it was bandaged. "What happened?"

"You fell unconscious, possible from blood loss." A girl with black hair, wearing a dark dress, said as she wiped Jimmy's forehead with a wet cloth. "According to my vampire instincts, you possibly lost at least a pint and a half of blood. You're lucky to be alive."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow at the girl, then noticed two other boys were sitting by a warm fire, looking at him. "Who the heck are _you_ guys?"

"You can call me Izzy- my parents used to work with Silver,"

"I'm Rudy," The boy with blonde hair said, sounding a bit shy. "I live across the river."

"And my name is Danny." The boy with black hair said. "I _used to _live in a castle, until a crazy French man by the name of Jacques Custoe blew it up."

_Castle? Crazy French guy? Blew up? _Jimmy repeated questionably in his head. "Silver, did I swallow river water?" he asked the werewolf. "I think I'm hallucinating…"

Silver chuckled. "Nope, Danny's actually a prince," he replied.

"We ran into them while you were passed out," A voice said beside Jimmy, and Lilly appeared. "It was the craziest thing! There we were, just-a runnin' through the forest…"

_20 minutes earlier…_

"Calm down, Rudy!" Izzy snapped at the blonde haired boy. "Sheesh, you act like you've never seen a werewolf before,"

"I haven't!" Rudy snapped back, his tone a bit high-pitched.

"N-Neither h-have I-I…" Danny stammered, backing away from Silver.

"Izzy, what's going on?" Silver asked. "How do you know these two boys?"

"I met them earlier tonight," Izzy replied, then stepped closer to Danny, smirking. "Only, _this_ one was a bit loopy in the head when I last saw him." Danny blushed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, while Izzy put an arm around Rudy. "If it weren't for _this_ hansom young fellow, the young prince would have waken up somewhere he didn't want to be."

"Wait a minute… how did you know I was a prince?" Danny demanded.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Dude, you were raving about your story to everyone at that party. Though, you should have spoken up louder- they couldn't hear you on Mars." Danny sneered at her, but she shrugged and smiled.

"But… What are you doing with… _him_?" Rudy asked, pointing at Silver.

"She helped save him from falling over the water-fall," A voice out of nowhere said, and suddenly a small girl, looking about the age of 10, appeared. "He and Jimmy would've been speared by them rocks if she hadn't swooped on down and grabbed 'em! …'Course, I helped her carry 'em,"

"Augh!" Rudy screamed, his tone very high-pitched, and jumped into Danny's arms. "H-How d-d-did y-you… W-w-where d-did y-you…?"

"Are you a ghost?" Danny asked, startled but still remaining more calm than Rudy.

Lilly giggled. "Yep. Just another spirit tryin' to get to Heaven,"

"You two shouldn't be afraid," Izzy said. "Silver and Lilly won't harm you… unless you try to mess with them."

"Believe me, we won't." Danny said, setting Rudy on the ground, then he observed the boy Silver had on his back. "I take it the young fellow you're carrying is Jimmy?"

Silver nodded. "Yeah… The twerp helped me bust out of Pent Towers, and I decided to bring him along with me," he said.

Rudy looked at Jimmy and gasped. "His arm… it's bleeding!" he said, feeling sick from the sight of the blood trickle down the boy's arm.

"I'll take care of it," Izzy said, and suddenly she had a medical kit with her, and the others looked at her in surprise. "Hey, always be prepared, you know?" Silver lied Jimmy down, and she began to bandage Jimmy's arm.

Lilly grabbed some sticks and began rubbing them together to make a fire, and the two sticks burst into flames, and she threw them onto a pile of dead grass and twigs, then went off to grab some more wood to keep the fire going. "So, what's your boys' story?" Silver asked Rudy and Danny as Lilly worked.

Danny told him about what happened to his family, and once he got to the part where he jumped off the cliff, Rudy took over and told Silver about how he and Radio- a talking cat he had met- found him by the river bank and tried to help him. "The cops wouldn't believe us," Rudy sighed, shaking his head. "They think we just made it up,"

"And Jacques found us and threw us into the river to drown," Danny said. "Luckily, we managed to get loose of our bonds and reach the shore."

"Yeah, but we got loose thanks to you," Rudy patted Danny on the back. "And you practically got me to shore, since I couldn't swim, and… kept me from drowning." …They both decided to keep quiet about the CPR incident.

"You mean ya'll can't swim?" Lilly gasped, arriving back with two logs just in time to hear Rudy's half of the story. "Well, how come?"

Rudy sighed. "My two siblings… well they…"

"Oh, for Heaven's sakes!" Danny griped. "Just let it out!"

Rudy glared at him. "Fine! My siblings beat the living shit out of me, gave me scars and bruises ALL OVER my body, and I couldn't take swimming lessons because I didn't want to take off my shirt and show everyone- since they had a 'no shirt' policy- and get my parents concerned, which would give Chris and Chrys the hint that I let their dark, twisted secret out and KILL ME!" Tears fell from his eyes, and he buried his face into his arms as he folded them over his knees. "Happy now, Danny?"

Danny cringed from guilt. Rudy had told him his siblings harassed him, but never mentioned abuse. "Sorry, I…" he tried to say something, but couldn't find a suitable apology, so he remained silent.

"You mean, your older siblings- who are supposed to PROTECT you rather than BEAT you- abused you so bad that you didn't have the heart to learn how to swim?" Lilly gasped, and her face twisted to sheer anger. "Why, I oughtta take a cattle prod and shove it where the sun-don't-shine for such treatment! Why would they DO such a thing?"

"They hate me…" Rudy replied. "That's the only excuse I can figure out."

Silver sighed, looking at Jimmy, knowing that- after seeing his back- he wasn't the ONLY one who went through a pain-filled childhood. "Why don't you two stick with us, then?" he suggested. "We can go to the next town and report your stories and help you out,"

"But… What if the police won't-" Danny began to say.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Not all police are shit-heads, kid. Only the ones who don't know when someone's in danger, and when someone's not. And YOU boys are in some deep-shit danger."

Suddenly, they heard a moan, and saw Jimmy stirring. "It looks like… he's suffering!" Izzy gasped, stroking Jimmy's head. "And it's not from his arm. I can tell…"

"Jimbo?" Silver scrambled to Jimmy's side, shaking him gently. "C'mon, Jimmy… You can pull through this! …Jimmy?" Danny and Rudy watched Silver, wondering why he cared so much about Jimmy…

_Now…_

"…And, boy, Jimmy! You almost gave us a heart-attack!" Lilly finished. "We were afraid you was gonna turn into a ghost just like me!"

"Glad you made it," Izzy said, patting Jimmy on the back and giving him a peck on the forehead.

"Uh, yeah… I'm glad I'm alive, too." Jimmy said, blushing a bit. He cleared his throat and looked at Rudy and Danny. "So… What town are we heading to?"

Izzy pointed to the north. "There's a town just about 10 miles north of here," she then pointed east. "Or, we could cross the river and head to THAT town- though, from Rudy and Danny's testimonies, we won't find much help there…"

"You guys brought up a talking cat named Radio, too." Lilly said. "Where is she?"

Rudy and Danny gasped. "Radio! Oh, man… I can't believe we almost forgot about her!" Rudy cried. "Jacques and his goons may have killed her!"

Jimmy scoffed. "No one would kill a talking cat!" he said. "They'd just sell it to make some fast cash… Maybe to a circus." Lilly elbowed him in the arm. "Ow! Watch it, that's my bad arm!"

"I'll go find her," Izzy said. "We'll meet you back in the next town." And in a poof of smoke, she was gone.

Danny arched an eyebrow. "How did she do THAT?" he asked.

"C'mon, boys," Silver said, helping Jimmy up. "We've got a long way to go."

Together, they began walking north through the forest, and Rudy looked back once with concern. _Radio, wherever you are, please be okay… _he prayed, sighing sadly. Danny held his hand, looking into his eyes. "She'll be okay… You'll see."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow at seeing Danny holding Rudy's hand. "Are you two gay or something?" he scoffed, and they quickly let go of each other's hand. Silver smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What the %$& was THAT for?"

"For being a bitch, now keep moving." Silver scolded. Jimmy cursed under his breath, but kept walking.

8-8-8

A/N: And they're on their way! What's Radio been up to? And will our three boys find help? Review and find out, and good luck with guessing!

But no flames. Flames suck.


	15. Chapter 15: A Brief View of the Twins

And after a very long time of not updating this story… here's a new chapter! (sorry for the delay- don't hurt me!)

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: Lol, silent hill… But, not a bad idea. I've never played the game, but I've seen half of the movie… which inspires the setting for this chapter. Thanks, dude!

8-8-8

Chris was the first one to wake up, rubbing his throbbing head. _Damn hangover… _he thought bitterly, regretting for drinking so much alcohol. He walked to the kitchen to get an ice-bag, all the while searching for some food to distract himself from his headache.

They had given up on searching for the 'mysterious boys' that they saw at the party last night, deciding they had better things to do than to chase after a kid who reminded them of their brother. "Probably just a couple of gays trying to stay in their closet," Chris had scoffed.

"Yeah… Maybe we should hook them up with the fag at _our_ house," Chrys had joked, and they walked back into the party, where Chris opened a beer and Chris mingled with her friends, both of them hoping to 'get lucky' with someone.

Chrys refused to drink alcohol, knowing that she would probably be like the rest of the brain-dead minors and end up with a headache… all the while waking up next to someone she would never in her entire life want to be with. That made her the official DD to get her twin brother home- which she hated, since she didn't know how to drive a stick-shift, especially at 3 o'clock in the morning. Once they got home, she plopped her passed-out brother on the couch and- out of exhaustion- collapsed right next to him.

Now, it was almost noon, and she was just now getting up. "Ugh, what a night," Chrys muttered, rubbing her eye and walking to the kitchen, where she saw her brother with an ice-pack on his head. "So, the hangover hit you, huh?"

"Oh, shut up and fix breakfast," Chris scoffed.

"Aw, what's the matter? Is your headache paralyzing you from getting your own breakfast?"

"No, but it IS keeping me from wanting to cook."

"Why don't you just get cereal, then?"

"We're out."

Chrys scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "Well, I'M not cooking breakfast,"

"Neither am _**I**_, thanks to that alcohol,"

They stood in the kitchen, moody with exhaustion and hunger, wondering how they would settle their issue. They both grinned, snapping their fingers. "The homo!" They said in unison, then ran up to Rudy's room.

Chris kicked open the door. "Hey, fag! Get up and fix us some-" He paused, seeing that the room was empty.

"Where is he?" Chrys asked.

Chris shrugged. "Ah, the twerp probably got up before we did and went out…" he then grinned. "With his little 'boyfriend'."

Chrys smirked, chuckling. "I wouldn't be surprised. …By the way, did you get the black-mail?"

Chris rolled his eyes and whipped out his cell-phone, showing that he had the picture Chrys had sent to him, which showed the strange boy riding on the handle-bars of Rudy's bike… well, sort of. It was more of him flying off the handle-bars while Rudy steered the bike away from a small cat- the cat he had found earlier. "I got this picture… and uploaded it on my computer yesterday. With the help of Photo-Shop, I can make it look like they're 'doing it'."

Chrys sneered. "That's sick! …I love your twisted mind."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to say it- I'm a genius."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright 'genius', why don't you find a way to get some breakfast?"

"Oh, that's easy… I'm going out to eat. See ya!" With that, Chris walked out the door.

Chrys scoffed, walking over to the fridge, skimming the inside of it for anything she could eat. As she grabbed a carton of orange juice, a realization hit her and she dropped it on the floor, spilling the juice all over the floor. _Those two boys we went after last night… They were Rudy and that kid! _she thought, then ran outside after her twin brother. "CHRIS!"

8-8-8

Meanwhile with Rudy, he was asleep in the middle of some forest. Silver had told them that no one (by 'no one' he meant the Pent Towers guards) would be searching for them during the day, thinking it would be too risky, and decided that they should rest a while to conserve their energy. Lilly, being a ghost, didn't need any sleep and decided to keep watch.

She looked at Rudy, sighing sadly- He was a good boy, but his siblings abused him without a cause. She then looked at Jimmy, shaking her head- he was a rebel who grew up on his own after his mother died, and didn't even know his father. Her gaze then fell on Danny, and tears formed in her eyes- A young, orphaned prince, who couldn't go to his own kingdom because it was destroyed and being taken over by a menacing douche.

_Oh, Mama, what has happened to the world? _she thought, looking up at the clouds in the sky. _Dear Lord, it's become full of filth that needs washed away… _

She heard a soft sigh, and looked over to see Rudy turn on his side toward Danny, wrapping his arm around him. The ghost-girl smiled a bit, seeing that the young prince had a companion that stuck by his side, and knew that he wasn't going to abandon the boy anytime soon either. She then looked at Jimmy, who lied against a tree with Silver lying next to him, and she had to restrain herself from giggling with delight- she knew that Silver and Jimmy had developed a bond, and figured it wouldn't be breaking anytime soon…

…But, she didn't know how wrong she was.

8-8-8

It was mid-afternoon once everyone was awake, and they continued walking down the road. Izzy hadn't returned yet, which concerned Rudy a bit. Had she really gone off to find someone to help them, or was it a vampire prank? _Nah, Izzy doesn't seem like the kind of girl- let alone vampire- who would betray someone. _he thought. _…Then again, I've only known her for just one night…_

Jimmy was walking next to him, which made him feel uncomfortable. Not only did his scowling expression and ragged clothes make him think that the boy was probably some sort of hooligan, but also the fact that he had called him and Danny both gay… which offended him, quite a bit. But, the way he said it, Rudy figured Jimmy was just being cynical. …He _looked_ like the cynical type, anyway.

Then there was Silver. Rudy still felt nervous being around the werewolf, thinking that any second now the creature would turn around and attack him. Unlike Izzy and Lilly, Silver was large, muscular, and showed his sharp teeth, and had a animalistic look in his eye all the time. But Rudy decided not to judge the werewolf- after all, Izzy said he wouldn't hurt him or Danny (unless they messed with him) and after seeing how he stuck by Jimmy's side last night, he figured the werewolf must have a 'soft spot' under all that masculinity.

"How much further, until we reach the town?" Danny asked, pulling Rudy out of his thoughts.

"About another eight miles," Silver replied.

Danny groaned, hunching over as he walked. "Man, my feet are going to be aching tonight…"

"Ah, quit whining, you royal sissy," Jimmy scoffed. "You want to get to the cops, don't you? Keep moving, a little exercise won't kill you."

"Says you! You pretty much rode on Silver's back all the way from that prison you both busted out of, I bet!"

"FYI, I passed out from blood-loss, dip-shit. And even if I didn't and had to walk, I'd STILL have the energy I do now- thanks to a lifetime experience of running from the cops back in my rat-hole of a town."

Danny leaned close to Rudy and muttered, "Oh, great. We're traveling with a juvenile delinquent…"

"I heard that!" Jimmy grabbed Danny by his shirt-collar. "If I were you, I'd be grateful that we're actually helping you out, princey!"

"Hey! Knock it off, you little runts!" Silver snarled, and Jimmy let go of Danny, giving him a dirty glance as he did. "If we're going to hike through these woods together, I'd suggest you guys pipe down and get along! Otherwise, I'm tying you guys to a tree branch by your hair and leaving you to the crows!" He leaned close to the boys, giving them a warning-glare. "And don't think I'm kidding, either. Now, c'mon, we've got a long way to go." He grabbed Rudy, moving him between Jimmy and Danny. "You can be the barrier between these two. Make sure they don't try to kill each other." Then he continued walking.

"Y-Yes s-sir…" Rudy said, still startled by Silver's outburst.

The three boys kept walking, with Jimmy and Danny giving each other death-glares past Rudy, but not saying a word in order to keep Silver from inflicting his punishment on them. Lilly was flying overhead (keeping invisible), giggling at them. Flying over the tree-tops, she gasped, seeing something ahead, and flew down to Silver. "Silver, there's a town up ahead!"

"What? But we still have another eight miles to go…" Silver said, confused.

They followed Lilly in the direction of the town, where they saw the sign: _Lambenwolf Falls._

"I've never heard of THIS town, before!" Danny whispered.

"Neither have I," Rudy replied.

"Ditto." Jimmy added.

Lilly flew into the air, getting another aerial view of the town. It had a small suborbital neighborhood, a school, a shopping mall, a church, two hospitals, a sanitarium, a gas station, and a few burger joints and motels, and it was located close to a lake. She scanned the area and spotted a police station near the sanitarium, then flew down to Silver. "The police station is just a couple blocks from here." She told him.

"Good, lets go-" Danny began to say, but Silver held him back.

"Hold on, kid," Silver said, eyeing the town suspiciously. "Something's not right, here… Notice anything about this town, guys?"

Jimmy looked at the town, but saw nothing- then it hit him… that's because there WAS nothing in the town! No people, no animals… zilch. "It looks abandoned… like a ghost-town." he said, then turned to Lilly. "Uh, no offense."

Lilly shrugged. "None taken."

"This is a bit strange," Silver said. "Izzy said the next town wasn't for another ten miles…"

"Maybe she tricked us," Rudy said. "Maybe there's a trap waiting for us somewhere in that town!"

"I'll go check it out." Jimmy said, walking toward the town.

"Jimmy, NO!" Silver hissed.

"I'll be fine," Jimmy kept walking, until he was in the middle of the street. "See? Nothing to worry about-"

*WHAM!*

"What the $%**?" **Jimmy shouted, looking up at whatever tackled him…

…Seeing a man that looked just like him (only taller, with a beard) and wore the same outfit. "Well, well, what do we have here?" Roscoe chuckled.

8-8-8

A/N: Yes, I got the scenery of the town from the Silent Hill game (looked it up for inspiration). And, no, this story isn't going to include anything from the game or movie… except a monster or two *tee-hee*. Anyway… Where did the town come from? Why is it deserted? Did Izzy really betray them? How did Roscoe get there? What will the twins do when they realize Rudy is gone? Will Jacques be captured? Where the heck is radio? And what the heck is the other half of Jimmy's subliminal life? (note: I snuck in a hint for the last question)

Please review and guess. Flames cause forest fires- only YOU can prevent them.


	16. Chapter 16: Troll Trouble

_**SO sorry for taking so long on this! I've been busy with other fics, and preparing on going on vacation for two weeks. But, without further hesitation, I give you chapter- whatever chapter we're on…**_

_**Reviewer Thanks**_

**Starspring: 1) Good guess on the town, you'll see what it is soon 2) Izzy did go back for help, but she doesn't have a clan 3) Maybe ;) 4) You know the twins better than I do (and I created them!) 5) True 6) As for Radio, she'll turn up soon. Oh, and one more thing… CONGRATULATIONS! You finally guessed right! =D You're next task: tell me what your favorite fairytale character/creature is. ;D**

**Fangface the second: I hate to say this, but Starspring beat you (I hope you're not too disappointed). …And good guess on the 'future Jimmy' theory, but I believe you're a bit off. Good guessing, anyway!**

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**Chrys was texting on her cell phone while Chris was watching a music video on MTV. They were going to get on the computer to make a slash picture of their brother and his 'new friend', but their computer was running slow that day, so they didn't want to bother trying to work on their 'project' with a slow hard drive and decided to save it for when they installed more memory into the system. (Thank the Lord for giving them slow technology). The twins spent their day in boredom, wondering where Rudy ran off to but not really caring…**

**That is, until their parents got home early, that day.**

"**Hi, kids! We're back!" Mr. Homes exclaimed as he and his wife walked through the front door.**

"**How did the weekend go? How was the party?" Mrs. Homes asked.**

"**Totally awesome, Mom," The twins replied in perfect unison, smiling innocently. **

"**Anything interesting happen there? Anyone from neighboring schools show up?"**

"**Not that we could tell. Too much partying was going on for us to notice." …(Major partying, that is).**

"**Well, I'm glad you had a good time,"**

"**Where's Rudy? What's he been up to?"**

"**We don't kno-" The twins began to say in unison (which was getting annoying), but paused, looking at each other uncertainly. Where WAS Rudy? Surely he wouldn't spend THIS much time with another boy (would he?), being the type of good-natured boy who would always be home in time for lunch, or leave a note or call to let them know he was out. What were they going to tell their parents? That he just took off that morning without them knowing? …Should they tell them about the other boy?**

"**He's with a friend." Chrys replied quickly.**

"**A friend? Really?" Mr. Homes asked, intrigued that his son found a new friend.**

"**Yeah… Some new kid who's family just moved in." Chris added, then smirked. "He and Rudy really 'hit it off' while you were away."**

**Chrys elbowed her twin in the ribs. "No innuendos in front of the parents, dip-wad!" she hissed.**

"**Well, I hope he gets home, soon." Mrs. Homes said, looking at the clock. "How long has he been gone?"**

"**Um… he left… at 10:30?" Chris lied.**

**Mrs. Homes was surprised, seeing that the clock said it was a quarter past one. "Did he come home for lunch at all?"**

"**No… But he called and told us he was eating lunch with his friend at Subway!" Chrys lied next.**

"**Yeah… and that he'd be gone most of the afternoon… probably…" Chris added, trying to think up another alibi.**

"…**And that they were going to check with that other kid's parents to see if he could spend the night at their house!" Chrys gasped, covering her mouth at what she had just said. She didn't even KNOW if Rudy was going to be gone that long, or even if he was still with the boy. **_**What if he comes home any second, and Mom and Dad figure out we lied?**_

"**Hm. I'd really think it would have been better if he checked with US first…" Mrs. Homes said. "Oh, well. It's HIS friend, and as long as they're not getting in trouble, I suppose it's fine… Just as long as he checks in with us."**

"**Right!" Chris and Chrys said together, nervously.**

"**Now, if you excuse us, we uh…" Chrys began to say, walking toward the front door and motioning Chris to follow.**

"**Gotta go!" Chris finished, and he and Chrys ran out the door. Their lives were on the line now, and they had to find out where Rudy went off to. And FAST.**

**Mrs. Homes watched her kids run off, and chuckled. "Kids. They're always running somewhere, aren't they?" she said.**

"**Yeah…" Mr. Homes said, his thoughts elsewhere. "Darling… what do you think about Rudy having a 'friend'?"**

"**What do you mean?" She looked at her husband quizzically, but after reading his expression, she knew what he meant by the word 'friend'. "Dear! How could you think that about your own son?"**

"**I'm just saying… what if he… you know… likes the boy **_**more**_** than a friend?"**

"**I can't believe you-"**

"**Honey, hear me out. Rudy, in his whole life, never hung out with any other kids, and never so much as even spoke a word of what happened when he came home crying. Remember what we realized? Those kids teased him about being gay- and I bet a couple of them even beat him up for it! Now, he's met a new boy, and I'm worried that he might ruin his friendship with him if he… if he wanted to be more."**

"**Hon. I KNOW Rudy. Even if he is- 'that' way- I doubt he'd go far to try to make an intimate relationship with the boy! I mean, what are you afraid of? That they might kiss?" (Boy, was she right on **_**that**_** one).**

"**No! No, I mean… (sigh) This is the first friend Rudy has ever had. I'm just worried that… if he did anything to reveal his secret, or if the other kids told the new boy… he might lose him."**

**Mrs. Homes sighed. "Dear. I don't like the fact that Rudy is a homosexual as much as you, and we both know it's unchristian, but it's HIS decision on who he wants to be. And if you think that new boy will abandon him because of it, well… I doubt it. I believe there's a chance that the boy won't discriminate against our son, and that they'll stay friends. **_**Just**_** friends."**

**Mr. Homes nodded, but turned away. "I just wish… he'd change." With that, he walked out of the room, leaving his wife shocked at his statement.**

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**Jimmy struggled against the weight of Roscoe, but the man had him pinned down. "Get off me, you creep!" he shouted, and finally found the nerve to kick the man in the 'you-don't-wanna-knows'. Roscoe grunted and loosened his grip on Jimmy, giving the boy a chance to crawl out from under him.**

"**You little twerp!" Roscoe shouted (in a soprano voice), and grabbed Jimmy by the ankle, pulling him back and taking out a knife. Jimmy tried to pull himself back, but the pain shot up in his arm and he was unable to use as much energy.**

**Silver leaped out of the bushes and stood over Jimmy on all fours, roaring in Roscoe's face and whacking him away. "Back off, Ross!" the werewolf snarled.**

"**Yeah, back off!" Lilly shouted, appearing next to Silver.**

"**What's going on? Who IS that man?" Danny demanded as he and Rudy stepped out of the bushes.**

"**He has many names, and changes them each time he goes to con someone." Silver replied, keeping an eye on Roscoe, who was sprawled on the ground. "He promises them that, if they can guess his REAL name, he'd grant them any wish they'd desire. But he only ends up tricking them and granting his OWN desire. He's a real troll like that." he then grinned. "But, I know what his REAL name is: Roscoe-"**

"**Shut it!" Roscoe shouted, taking out a gun and shooting a tranquilizer dart into Silver's jaw, making his mouth go numb.**

"**Ah hrap."**

"**Silver!" Jimmy gasped, then turned to Roscoe. "You're going to PAY for that!"**

**Roscoe just laughed. "How cute. A puny human taking in **_**me**_**? Didn't you pay attention to your werewolf friend?" He began to approach Jimmy, his size increasing with every step. "I'm a dangerous man, kid…" his voice was deeper now, and his eyes turned bright yellow and his ears became pointed. "You don't want to mess with me…" Fangs grew out of the bottom of his mouth, and his fingernails turned to claws. "I'm a real troll." He now stood before Jimmy, 11-feet tall, bulky, and having a sinister look in his eyes.**

"**Shee? I hol' 'ou." Silver said, his mouth still numb.**

"**Oh… crap." Jimmy said.**

"**First a vampire, then a werewolf and ghost, now a troll. What's next?" Rudy said, his voice shaky and a tad high-pitched.**

**Roscoe roared and slammed his fist to where Jimmy stood, making the concrete wave and tip over phone lines, but the boy had leaped out of the way to prevent being crushed into an early grave. Silver ran up and clawed the troll behind the leg, but Roscoe kicked him back, sending him smashing into a building. Lilly then began to fly around the troll's head, making faces at him and causing him to swat her (his hand going through her, doing no harm), distracting him so that Jimmy could get away. **

**But instead of running away, Jimmy looked around, trying to find something that could stop the troll. His gaze fell on a fallen telephone poll, seeing that a sparking wire at been ripped out of its circuit, and was long enough to… And the light-bulb then appeared over Jimmy's head. "C'mon, Princy, I need you're help." he whispered to Danny, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him along. "Rudy, you help Lilly distract that troll."**

"**What?" Rudy squeaked, but had no time to protest because Jimmy had dragged Danny off… and the troll was coming his way! "Um… um… Hey! Roscoe!"**

"**WHAT?" Roscoe roared, still trying to swat Lilly, but with no avail.**

"**Um… I hear you like to make deals!"**

**Roscoe froze, holding up his palm and making Lilly fly into it, making her fall to the ground. "Oof!" Lilly grunted. "How in the world did he DO that?"**

"**Why do you ask, kid?" Roscoe asked, gazing into Rudy's eyes intensely.**

"**Uh, because… I have a deal for you." His mind raced furiously. "If… If you let us go then… um…"**

**Roscoe arched an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound like a good deal." he raised his fist to smash Rudy.**

"**WAIT! If we guess your name, you have to let us go… and NEVER make another deal with ANYONE again!"**

**Roscoe laughed. "Now THAT'S a deal. One exception, though…" he glared at Silver, who regained consciousness and snarled at him (well, tried to snarl. It's hard to snarl at someone when your jaw is numb…). "You CAN'T let the werewolf help you." He stuck out his hand. "Deal?"**

**Rudy gulped, then shook his hand… well, finger actually, since his hand was huge. "Deal."**

"**Alright, kid. I'll give you each one guess. …And while you're thinking…" He raised his fist and slammed the ground, growling. Rudy screamed and ran, making the troll laugh with delight.**

"**Are you sure this will work?" Danny asked Jimmy as they carried the entwined phone wires toward the troll.**

"**Of course it will! I saw it in a movie." Jimmy said. He saw that Silver was awake and was about to lunge at Roscoe, but he quickly whispered something into his ear. **

"**Ah'igh." Silver said, nodding, then ran to another building.**

**Jimmy then turned to Lilly and Rudy. "Rudy! Lilly! Lead him toward that building!" he pointed to the building he saw Silver go to.**

"**C'mon, kids! Get guessin'!" Roscoe laughed, stomping his foot and sending a chunk of concrete waving upward, sending Rudy flying up in the air.**

"**WhoooaaaAAAAAUGH!" Rudy screamed, heading head-first toward Roscoe's open mouth.**

**Lilly appeared in front of Rudy and quickly caught him. "Gotcha!" she said, carrying Rudy back down to the ground, and they began running toward the building Jimmy pointed to.**

"**Guess!" Roscoe roared, slamming his fist on the ground, trying to smash them.**

"**Um… Is it… Roscoe Jenkins?" Rudy guessed.**

"**Nope!" The troll laughed and stomped his foot, then turned to Lilly. "Your turn!"**

**He tried to swat her again, but his hand went through her. "Is it… Roscoe Stewart?" she guessed.**

"**No! Wrong again!" He raised his foot to stomp on both of them, and Lilly hung on to Rudy, making him fade through the troll's foot with her when it slammed down, and they quickly ran down the deserted street, past the building.**

**Danny and Jimmy, meanwhile, finished tying the wires to two light-posts that stood across from each other on two opposite corners, waiting for an opportunity. It came as Roscoe approached them. "Alright, Prince! Your turn to guess!"**

**Danny stared at him in disbelief. "How did you know I was a prince?" he gasped.**

"**GUESS!" Roscoe grabbed Danny and flung him into the air.**

"**AUGH!" **

**The troll backed up, looking upward and keeping his mouth open in hopes of catching Danny in his mouth. Just as the prince fell close enough, a blurred figure flew by, catching him at the last second. "Damn it! Someone's always snagging my lunch!"**

**Danny looked to see who rescued him, seeing that it was… "Izzy!" **

"**Yo," Izzy said, grinning.**

**The troll laughed. "Izzy? That's not my name, either!"**

"**What? No! That wasn't my guess!"**

"**Too bad! It still counts!"**

**Izzy sneered. "That's the thing about you trolls. You never play fair." she scoffed, then kicked Roscoe in the eye.**

"**Argh! You'll PAY for that, you vampire bitch!" He roared and lunged toward Izzy…**

… **where he tripped over the wires! "Yes!" Jimmy exclaimed.**

**The troll tried to keep his balance, but he couldn't… and it didn't help when Silver jumped off the roof, planting his feet in the back of Roscoe's head, making the troll fall and crash on the ground, causing all the streets to wave and sending everyone flying upward. Izzy quickly caught Rudy while Lilly caught Jimmy, and they floated down toward the troll, watching as Silver climbed off his head and walked over to them.**

"**Ake ah, ih." Silver said to Roscoe.**

**The troll raised his head, arching an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.**

**Jimmy observed Roscoe, rubbing his chin. "So… the deal is to guess your name?" he scoffed. "Jeez, sounds like that dumb fairytale!" he then chuckled. "I mean, what is it? **_**Roscoe**_**-Stilskin?" He meant it as a joke… but the expression on the troll's face told him otherwise.**

**Roscoe's jaw dropped, and he shrank back down to his human form. "No. No… NO!" he screamed, slamming his fist on the ground. "No one ever gets my name right! NO ONE!"**

**Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Chill out, dude. It's just a deal."**

"**And a deal is a deal," Rudy said, and they began to walk away.**

"**No… I've never lost, and I never will!" He pulled out his knife and lunged at Rudy, grabbing him by the shirt. "I NEVER LOSE!"**

**Then there was a furious hiss, and a gray cat suddenly pounced on Roscoe's face, madly clawing at his eyes and making him release Rudy… and scream like a girl. "Leave him alone, you treacherous con!" Radio snarled.**

"**Radio!" Danny and Rudy exclaimed.**

"**But… how did she get here?" Danny wondered, aloud.**

**Izzy smirked. "Eh. I decided to pick her up." she said, shrugging.**

**Silver rubbed his jaw, noticing it was finally getting its feeling back, then approached Roscoe and Radio. "All hight, cat-th. I'll take ih from here." he said, pulling Radio off Roscoe's face…**

…**and punching the troll-man between the eyes, knocking him out.**

**Suddenly, the town began to fade. "W-what's happening?" Rudy stammered.**

"**One of Roscoe's spells is just wearing off, kid." Silver replied, his mouth now fully functional. "He had a knack for creating allusions to lead people into his traps. Now that he's unconscious, the illusion won't hold."**

**The town disappeared, and soon they were in the middle of the woods once again. "So… what are we doing to do with him?" Radio asked, glaring at Roscoe.**

**Silver grinned.**

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**Minutes later, the small group continued walking through the woods, leaving Roscoe tied upside-down from a high tree branch, bleeding.**

"**Do you think he'll escape?" Rudy asked, nervously.**

**Silver chuckled. "If he does, kid, then there won't be much hope for him." he replied.**

"**Why do you say that?" Lilly asked.**

**Silver and Jimmy looked at each other and smirked, then Jimmy held up a gun and knife. "We stole his weapons and stuck all those tranquilizer darts of his in him." Jimmy replied.**

**The others couldn't help but laugh.**

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**Jacques stood in his new room- or, what was SOON to be his new room, once he hired a carpenter to re-furnish, re-pain, and re-carpet it- and watched as two of his henchmen hung a large oval mirror on the wall, which showed his reflection. He approached it, grinning vainly, just as his mother had whenever she used the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on ze wall… Who iz ze ruler of this land and all?" he asked. He'd ask who was the fairest, but… he decided to trust his own opinion on that, rather than end up like his mom.**

**An image of a hansom young boy with raven-black hair, brown eyes, wearing a white T-shirt and black sleeves, a crown beanie, jeans, and white sneakers was shown walking through the forest. With him was a blonde haired boy with green eyes, wearing a red, black-striped T-shirt, brown pants, black tennis-shoes; a girl with pale skin, black hair, wearing a black tank top, black jeans, black boots, and black wristbands; a smaller girl with dark skin, blue eyes, long black hair, and wearing knitted pink cap and a tan, short-sleeved, old-fashioned nightgown; a small silver cat with bright green eyes; and a large, black-haired, yellow-eyed, wolf-like beast.**

**But Jacques was more focused on Danny. "He's STILL alive?" he snarled, then whipped out his cell-phone. "Time to take more drastic measures…"**

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**A/N: Who is Jaqcues going to call? Will the twins be able to locate their brother? And what danger awaits our protagonists next? Review to find out! Flame if you want a live badger shoved into your nostrils!**


	17. Chapter 17: Nightmares

Sorry for the long wait, guys! It's hard to work on fics when you're on vacation… Anyway, without further delay, here's the next chapter!

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: I think we've gotten enough 'Silent Hill' references in this story, but thanks anyway.

Starspring: Nothing is too hard for me to incorporate into my story. You'll get your reward! Hmm… Mermaid or Sleeping Beauty? …tough pick, huh? Maybe both combined ;)

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Amelia "Zaphael" Smollett never took kindly to prisoners who gave her trouble… especially Silver, who always had a smart remark waiting for her every time they crossed paths. It was bad enough she had to settle a prison brawl, NOW she had to round up all the prisoners and stuff them back in their cells! Luckily, most of them didn't get far in the commotion and were easy to capture, but some of them took the opportunity to break out and escape Pent Towers and avoid the warden's wrath…

…just like Silver.

She had sent most of her guards on a search to look for the other escaped prisoners, but she had her goal set on catching Silver and his little accomplice… and making them suffer once she caught them. Sure, she could go for execution, but that was too easy a punishment. No, she wanted to inflict a worse treatment on them- one that would make them wish they were dead.

As she and a few other guards walked through the woods, she paused, hearing a moan from above. Looking up, she saw a brunette man tied to a tree, a few pin-pricks on his exposed skin that possibly certified he either had a rough acupuncture session or someone injected him with some sort of liquid. But it was his scent that made her curious- rather than having a human scent, he had something extra. Something… mystical.

"Rogers, untie that man and bring him down here." Smollett ordered one of her officers, a 3-headed hydra in a uniform that was at least 8-feet tall (having to stay a small size so not to catch any human's attention).

"Yesss ma'am." The hydra replied, climbing up the tree and untying the man, bringing him down.

The man groaned, opening his eyes and seeing a blurred vision of the guards around him. "They guessed my name… no one can guess my name…" the man muttered.

"What IS your name, sir?" Smollett asked him.

"Can't tell… part of… the game…"

Smollett rolled her eyes, then took out the man's wallet and looked at his ID… then noticed he had several of them with different names! She couldn't help but grin. "I take it you're Roscoe?" The man only moaned in reply, making the warden chuckle. She turned to 2 furries: One with dog ears and one with cat-ears. "Rico, Sanderson. Take Roscoe here back to Pent Towers… and run him a nice bath full of boiling motor-oil, would you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Rico, the cat-furry, said as he and his partner grabbed Roscoe and began dragging him to the prison truck parked on the side of the road.

The warden stood up straight, grinning. "C'mon, gents. Something tells me Silver is closer than we think…" she said, and she and the rest of the guards continued their search as nightfall began to show its head.

X0X0X0X0X0X

About 3 miles down the road, a rainstorm had begun, drenching Silver, Radio, Izzy, Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny, while the raindrops simply fell through Lilly. "A-Are we th-th-there y-y-y-yet?" Rudy asked, shaking from the cold.

"Are we still walking?" Silver asked.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Then we're not there yet."

"Can we at LEAST find some shelter?" Radio scoffed, trying to shake the rain off her fur.

"Aw, is the poor little kitty getting too wet?" Izzy said, teasing Radio.

Radio stuck out her claws. "Watch it, Bat-Girl. I'm not afraid to scratch your face and give you a permanent mark!"

"What do you mean, 'permanent'?" Danny asked.

"Ah, it's an old myth. People say that if a cat were to scratch or bite a vampire, they'd leave a mark that can never heal, and if the cat were rabid it could even poison said vampire."

"I've never heard THAT vampire myth before," Jimmy said, arching an eyebrow.

"There are many myths about mythical creatures humans don't know about." Radio said. "I only know about them because I've been around longer than most of you."

"How long would that be?" Danny asked.

"Oh, I'd say… At least 200 years, as of last month."

Rudy and Danny froze, gaping at Radio. "You're THAT old? B-But, you sound so young!" Rudy gasped.

"Well, when you're under a spell, age doesn't affect you much."

"Speak for yourself," Silver muttered.

"What was that, Silver?" Izzy asked.

The werewolf just shook his head. "Nothing. Just keep walking,"

"Woo-wee! 200 years, eh? By golly, Radio, you're older than me!" Lilly said, giggling.

"Gosh, I wonder how old that would be in cat years…" Izzy asked teasingly, earning a glare from Radio.

"Silver, can we please rest?" Danny asked. "We've been walking for miles, and we're getting cold…"

"Ah, keep walking, Princy." Jimmy sneered. "If we stop now, we'll get caught- especially if someone finds Roscoe in that tree and he rats us out. Besides, how would we rest in the rain? We'd just freeze even more!"

"Then how about we find shelter?" Radio scoffed harshly.

"Where? There's nothing out here but trees! Our chances of finding shelter out here is zero to-"

There was a flash of lightening that lit up the darkness for a brief second, giving them a second to spot an old cottage nearby. "Zero to WHAT, Jimmy?" Danny asked, teasingly.

"Oh, shut up! …It could be another trap."

"Well, we won't know until we get inside, and I'm not going to risk hyperthermia!" Radio said, running toward the cabin, the others following her.

"Cats," Izzy scoffed.

Once they reached the door, they saw an old stone sitting by the house. It was one of those address stones that had the last name of the house-owner on it, and in the darkness they could hardly make out the name: "Baer".

"You think anyone lives here?" Rudy asked.

"One way to find out," Silver said, then opened the door and walked in. "_Anyone home_?"

"Yes. That IS masterful," Izzy said sarcastically.

The others walked in, noticing that the room was covered with dust and grime, with a fireplace that hadn't been used for God knows how long, and three very old chairs sitting in the middle of the room. "Looks like the place is deserted," Jimmy said.

"No shit." Silver scoffed, then walked over to the living room and lied down on the floor. "We'll rest here until morning… or until the rain lets up. Whichever comes first." With that, he shut his eyes and began to snore.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and lied down on his back, folding his arms and resting his head on his hands and falling asleep. Radio climbed onto one of the chairs- the smallest one- and shook herself dry, then curled up and began to rest. Lilly found some firewood and built a small fire, then she and Izzy took the other two chairs- Lilly in the medium one and Izzy in the large one- and the vampire fell asleep, while the little ghost girl just shut her eyes and began rocking gently. Rudy and Danny lied close to the fire- Danny on his back and Rudy on his stomach, and soon they fell asleep instantly.

X0X0X0X0X0X

**Danny's POV**

I walked through the forest, wrapping my arms around myself to avoid the cold wind. I don't know how I got back out here, or what happened to the others… All I knew was, I had to find them quick if we were going to report Jacques and find one of my kin. "Rudy? Radio? Izzy?" I called out, but my voice only echoed among the trees, mocking my timidity.

The wind blew harder, and I began to pick up the pace, running through the woods to find a warm place to rest. What had happened to that cottage we were just in? When did we leave? When did we get separated? Oh, how I wish Rudy was here…

Suddenly, as if God heard my troubles, I saw a small house up ahead. Quickly as I could, I ran toward it, fighting the cold wind that blew against my face. Perhaps there was someone there who saw my friend and the others, or maybe knew a way to the nearest police station! That thought was my motivation to keep running.

I ran up and knocked on the door. "Hello? Hello? Is anyone in there?" I called both happy and frantic, but no one answered. "Hello?" I tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. "Oh, please! Isn't there anybody in there?" I walked over to a window, peering inside…

…where I saw my mother, young and beautiful, standing in a kitchen with an old woman who handed her a juicy red apple. "Mother? Mother!" I cried, tapping on the window, but she couldn't hear me.

What was my mother doing out here in the first place, I suddenly wondered? The last time I saw her, she was shot… just like my father… The memory made me weep, and I frantically began hitting the window with my fists. "Mom! Over here! I'm right here, and I'm alive! Please, mother!" I cried, tears running down my face as I was overcome with the urge to run up to her and hug her tight.

But she didn't even look my way. She just looked down at the apple, took a bite out of it…

…then fell on the floor, her eyes glazed and life-less and her face turning blue. That apple had poisoned her! "MOM!" I found myself screaming, but it was drained out by the sound of the old woman cackling evilly.

That ugly bitch! She had killed my mother! Rage boiled inside of me as I ran back to the door, banging my fists on it and kicking it. "Let me in!" I yelled. "Let me in, you old hag!"

I was so blinded by my rage that I didn't notice someone sneaking up behind me… that is, until I felt a knife on my throat that cut my skin deep, and I felt warm blood trickle down my neck as I fell on the ground, looking upward at the victorious grin belonging to Jacque…

X0X0X0X0X0X

**Rudy's POV**

I gasped, jolting up in my bed and feeling a chill. My eyes darted around the room, looking for a trace of any stranger… or the twins. I sighed, lying back in my bed…

…Only to jolt up again, realizing that I was in my bed, rather than in an old cottage! "Danny? Radio?" I gasped, looking around for my friends. Had it all been a messed up dream?

No, no it couldn't have been a dream… It was too real. What if Jimmy was right, and we fell into another trap? What if this was just another illusion? I got out of my bed and ran toward my bedroom door, deciding to find answers. "Mom! Dad!" I called, running down to the kitchen in hopes that maybe they could help…

…But they weren't there, which must prove this all WAS an illusion. I ran toward the front door- maybe leaving my house would trigger something and snap me back to reality! I twisted the knob… but it was locked- from the outside? "What the…?" I gasped.

Suddenly, I heard cackling behind me, and I turned and saw my worst nightmare- Chris and Chrys, standing in front of me and smiling their evil smiles. "Hello, little fag," They said in unison, their tones creepier than usual. "Wanna play a game?"

Before I could respond, they grabbed me by the shoulders and began dragging me upstairs. "Wait! No! Guys, listen- there's someone in trouble! A friend of mine…" I stammered.

"You don't have any friends!" Chris snapped, sounding like he spoke with two voices.

"Yeah, no one wants to hang out with a freak like you, remember?" Chrys added, speaking with two voices as well.

"But… But… Wait!" I cried, but they kept dragging me up the stairs, until we reached the attic…

The attic- the one room in our house that I never entered, not since the twins told me that story of it being haunted. I wouldn't have been as scared of it… if I didn't believe in ghosts, which I did now, after meeting all the supernatural creatures I saw today. I tried to escape their grip, but they were too strong, chuckling at my feeble attempts.

Suddenly, the attic door opened by itself- which only creeped me out more- and the twins shoved me in, cackling wildly. Their laughter was cut short when the door slammed shut, leaving me trapped inside the room. I ran to the door, banging my fists on it. "Let me out!" I screamed, even though I knew they wouldn't listen.

Suddenly, I felt a chill in the air, and hear whispering. I couldn't make out the words, but the voice still persuaded me to turn around. I saw nothing, but the whispering continued, and the words became more clear. "Come here, little boy…" A raspy voice whispered.

Normally, I would have screamed, peed my pants, and ran so hard I'd break the door down, but I couldn't. I stood there, stiff, my eyes wide. Who was speaking? Was it the ghost? Or were the twins pulling a prank on me?

A chill went down my spine, making me shiver. "Come here…" Came the raspy voice again. This time, against my will-power, my legs began to move, making me walk deeper into the attic. "Yes… that's it… come closer…"

I was frightened, but I couldn't turn around, couldn't scream… I just kept walking until I was in the middle of the attic, feeling a chill tingle all over my body. Then I heard a soft laugh… a laugh of pleasure… and felt a cold, invisible hand caress my face, tussle my hair… then it and another hand slid down my arms then held my hands, gently pulling me along over to a chair. "Have a seat," The voice whispered close to my ear, and this time it wasn't raspy but… soothing. Comforting. Persuading.

I took a seat, feeling cold hands massage my shoulders, then I felt a coldness on my lap… "What's… going on?" I asked, my voice a whisper.

The voice just shushed me, and I felt a cold finger on my lips. "Don't be afraid, little boy…" it said, soothingly massaging my shoulders. "I just want to show you something…"

I began to relax, taking in a deep breath of relief. "What do you want to show me?"

I felt one of the invisible hands caress my neck. "I want to show you… what Heaven is like…"

Suddenly, both cold hands clasped around my throat, choking me and shaking every breath out of me…

X0X0X0X0X0X

**Jimmy's POV**

I don't know how I got here, but I found myself in a house, away from the others. How did I get here? I have no idea. All I know was, I wanted answers, and I was looking around the whole house trying to find them. "Hey! Anybody here?" I called… then noticed my voice sounded younger.

Come to think of it, everything seemed bigger, too… and familiar. I walked into a bedroom, where I saw some toy cars scattered around the floor, an un-made bed with a Buzz Lightyear bedspread on it, and an old dresser with a bunch of Justice League action-figures on top of it.

Then it hit me- this was my old bedroom… in my old house! "What the…?" I gasped, then looked into a mirror in my old room and saw that I was shorter and wearing a pair of my old Scooby-Doo pajamas… But, I hadn't seen them since…

Oh my gosh. I was SEVEN! "What's going on?" I yelled, running out of the room and down the hall. Was I dreaming, or did another troll pull an illusion on us? I didn't think about it much- I was more occupied on trying to find the others. "Silver? Lilly? Where are you?"

Suddenly, I heard yelling, and I ran down the hall and into my old living room…. Seeing the worst sight I could ever see: Rupert was beating my mom! "Oh, $% NO!" I shouted, then ran up and tackled Rupert. I noticed I was suddenly fourteen again, but I didn't really care. I just wanted to beat the shit out of Rupert.

But he was stronger than me, and pushed me off, then began punching me in the gut and face, and kicking me in the ribs until I fell back. I groaned, sitting up on my knees, trying to find the strength to stand. I wasn't going to get up. "Is that all you got, asshole?" I grunted, trying to sound tough.

"Using a cliché again, huh?" Rupert said… but it wasn't his voice I heard. Looking up, I gasped, watching as Rupert slowly shifted into…

"S-Silver?" I gasped.

He didn't reply. He just smirked… then lunged at me. The last thing I saw was his long, sharp fangs coming toward my face…

X0X0X0X0X0X

**3****rd**** person POV**

Jimmy, Danny, and Rudy sat up, awaking from their nightmares. _So… It was only a nightmare? _Danny thought with relief. _Oh, thank God…_

_That was the most messed up nightmare I've ever had! _Jimmy thought, shuddering at the last part of his nightmare where Silver jumped at him. _Why the heck did I dream such a thing?_

_What a nightmare… _Rudy thought, hugging himself to keep from shaking. _Talk about freaky- I got murdered by a seducing ghost! …Thank goodness it was only a dream._

"You boys okay?" Lilly asked, noticing the startled look on their faces. "You look like you've seen a ghost!" She then thought about it. "Er, other than me,"

"Just had a nightmare," Rudy said assuredly, then shuddered. "I really, nasty, twisted nightmare."

"Same here," Danny said, hugging his knees.

"Ditto," Jimmy said, feeling his heartbeat race.

The three boys looked around the room, seeing that they were still in the old cottage, rather than in some creepy attic with a ghost, or by an old house with a witch in it, or inside a room with an abusive maniac. No, they were still with each other, seeing Radio and Izzy asleep in their chairs, Lilly sitting by the fire to keep it going…

Jimmy looked around, noticing something was missing. "Hey, where's Silver?" he asked.

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_Silver lied curled up on the floor, snoring. He wasn't actually asleep, just faking so he could remain alert. When things got quiet he opened his eyes, seeing the others had fallen asleep, save Lilly, who was attending to a shrinking fire. His gaze fell on Jimmy, who's eyes seemed to be in the REM stage, as if something were wrong, and he noticed the same thing was happening with Danny and Rudy._

_He stood up on all fours, quietly walking over to them. It was obvious they were having nightmares, and he didn't want a few kids waking up and screaming, then staying up the whole night afraid to go to sleep._

_Before he could get close to them, though, he heard a soft, *crunch* outside, like someone walking on dead leaves. He walked over to the door and stepped out, scanning the area… seeing a dark silhouette run behind a tree. Snarling, he ran over to see who was stalking the woods this late at night. Judging from the sound of their footsteps, he knew it couldn't be some wild animal… especially if it ran on two legs._

_The figure stopped, facing Silver, though it was too dark to make out their features. Silver growled and lunged-_

_*BANG!*_

X0X0X0X0X0X

A/N: I hope I didn't give anyone a heart-attack on that last part.

Please review. If you can't say something nice, don't flame at all.


	18. Chapter 18: Lack of Sleep causes Tension

Time for the next chapter… if some of you are done being shocked from the last one.

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: lol you'll have to read the chapter to find out! And, yes, I enjoyed my vacation, thank you =)

Fangface the second: I hope I didn't scare you too bad lol. Glad you liked the POVs

**-8-8-8-**

It was still raining the next morning as the group of minors walked through the forest, searching for Silver. Lilly had heard him step out last night, figuring he went out to relieve himself or scan the area keeping a lookout for any foes or wandering humans, but when he didn't return at dawn, she woke the others… except for Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny, who stayed awake after their nightmares, deciding not to risk another chilling dream haunting their minds. Izzy had explored the rest of the house and found 3 umbrellas they could use as they searched, much to Radio's relief.

As they trudged through puddles, dead wet leaves, and mud, the three boys kept thinking about their nightmares. What did they mean? Were they trying to warn them of something? Was there a secret behind the horrors they witnessed within them? They didn't know… they just wanted to forget them, find Silver, and continue their journey to the town, so Danny could tell the cops about Jacque and they could go home safely… except for Jimmy, who planned on hopping on the nearest freight train and getting as far away from this place as he could- secretly hoping Lilly and/or Silver would join him. Mostly Silver.

Rudy walked under one of the umbrellas with Lilly, holding it over her head along with his, despite the fact that she was a ghost and had nothing to worry about with the rain, but he remained courteous toward her anyway. He was deep in thought about this whole dilemma he was in- one minute he's sitting in a tree, wanting to explore the land beyond the river, and the next thing he knows he's walking through the forest with a talking cat, a runaway prince, a vampire, a werewolf, a little ghost, and a troubled bad-boy. Suddenly, he wanted to go home and see his family, where he could get a hot meal and sleep in a warm bed, and the only thing he would have to worry about were the twins beating him. Thinking about his family made him sigh softly. Did they miss him? Did they even notice he was gone? Were his parents worried? Did the twins even care?

Lilly looked at him, hearing his sigh, and held his hand. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

At the cold touch of her hand, the memory of the ghost from his dream flooded into his head, and Rudy gasped in alarm, jerking his hand away. "S-Sorry, Lilly," he said, noticing he hurt her feelings a bit. "I'm still a little jumpy from my nightmare."

She nodded in understanding, taking his hand again and rubbing her thumb on the top of it. "Don't worry. You're awake, now. There's nothing to be afraid of,"

"…Except that we're walking in the rain, on the lam from a bunch of psychos, and Silver's gone missing," Jimmy muttered bitterly, holding an umbrella over his head as he stood under it with Radio. Where had his friend gone? What if the warden had caught him? Jimmy shook his head, knowing Silver well enough that he wouldn't let himself get caught, and wouldn't abandon them… would he?

"Maybe we should just continue to the town," Danny suggested, walking under an umbrella with Izzy. "We might spot him on the way there, or he can catch up with us if we're ahead of him."

Jimmy glowered at the prince. "We're not leaving without him."

"Maybe he's back at the cabin," Radio inquired. "We should head back there anyway, until the rain clears up,"

"I agree with the cat," Izzy said. "If we stay out here any longer, we'll catch our deaths," She looked at Lilly. "Er… except for you, Lilly… No offense."

Lilly shrugged. "Ah, none taken," she replied.

"We're not going back until we find him," Jimmy said coldly.

"What if he _did_ come back and is looking for us?" Rudy asked.

Jimmy sneered. "If he was looking for us, he would have found us by now! …Look, if you guys want to give up and go back, you can, but I'm not turning around until I find him!" He handed the umbrella to Radio and trudged forward.

"We're _not_ giving up, Jimmy." Lilly said, defensively. "We just agree it'll be better to continue searching after the rain passes. We'll have more luck on finding him that way. Plus, Rudy and Radio could be right- he _could_ be back at the cabin."

"Why do they call you, 'Radio'?" Izzy whispered to Radio.

"Long story," Radio whispered back.

Jimmy shook his head. "No… If he was back at the cabin, that would mean he didn't go off too far." he said. "Lilly, you said he stepped outside last night, right? He wouldn't have ran off in the middle of the night and leave us alone, especially when there's a bunch of creeps after us. Something's not right guys… Silver's missing, and I don't like it."

"Do you… think something bad happened to him?" Lilly asked Jimmy, concern filling her voice.

Jimmy paused, looking down at the ground. "Lets pray not." And he continued walking.

"Now, don't start thinking negatively!" Radio scolded. "Silver might have just decided to scout ahead. Or, being a werewolf, probably went to hunt something…"

Jimmy glowered at Radio, making her regret that last statement. "So, just because he's a werewolf gives him a good reason to run off in the night, huh? Went off to hunt some animal just to control his animal instincts, huh? Well, listen here, pussycat, I know Silver, and he wouldn't just leave to eat some dumb deer or anything like that!"

"Why are you so defensive of him, anyway?" Danny asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm not defensive of him! I just don't want to continue the trip until I know he didn't…" he paused, not wanting to complete the sentence.

"Didn't what? …Abandon us?"

Jimmy said nothing and kept walking.

Danny looked at him, questionably. "That's why you don't want to stop searching. You want to make sure he didn't just leave us behind, don't you? You want to find him because you just want to be with him… You want to make sure he cares."

Jimmy turned sharply, giving Danny a death-glare. "Why don't you get off my ass, you spoiled son of a bitch? It's none of your royal business on why I want to find Silver!"

"Hey, I was just pointing out the obvious,"

"Danny, don't…" Rudy warned, nervously.

"What's THAT supposed to mean, _princess_?"

"It means, you're close to that frightening creature… More close than you're too proud to admit, you juvenile rogue!" With that, he pushed Jimmy.

"Uh, oh," Lilly said, cringing.

Jimmy scowled, then grabbed Danny by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. He turned to leave, but the prince swung out his own legs and tripped him. In response, the delinquent stood on his knees and tackled the prince, and they began rolling around the ground, punching each other, wrapping their arms around each other's necks to trap the other in a choke-hold, and trying to pin the other down, all the while calling each other every cuss-filled name ever invented.

"Guys, stop it!" Izzy snapped, walking over and trying to pull the two of them apart. "You're acting like five-year-olds, honestly!"

"Danny, please quit!" Rudy half-snapped, half-begged. He had never seen his friend act so violently… and didn't like it.

"Cut it out, both of you!" Radio shouted, then shook her head when they ignored her. "(sigh) Why do boys always have to resolve things with violence?"

"…teach you to ridicule my friend, you stuck-up asshole!" Jimmy was snarling as he grabbed Danny by the shoulders, shaking him and trying to pin him down.

"It's not MY fault your so-called friend abandoned us, you rebellious dick!" Danny retorted, his hands clawing at Jimmy's neck.

"Both of you, knock it off!" Lilly scolded. "Honestly, what would your mother's say if they saw their sons acting like a couple of savage wolves fighting over a piece of livestock?"

Jimmy and Danny had their hands clasped around each other's throats, ready to strangle each other, but stopped at Lilly's statement, the sad memory of losing their mothers appearing in their minds. Izzy took this opportunity and grabbed Jimmy, pulling him off of Danny, while Rudy helped the prince stand up. Danny looked down at a puddle, seeing his grimy reflection, noticing that in just a matter of minutes he had gone from a royal prince to a royal jerk, while Jimmy stared at him, realizing that he allowed his anger to take control and cloud his mind- something Silver had warned him about- and came close to beating up someone just because they reminded him of his anxiety over his missing friend…. What WOULD their late-mothers say?

Jimmy sat on his knees, looking down at the ground, while Danny stood, breathing heavily out of shock of his own actions. Radio walked over and put her paw on top of Jimmy's hand. "C'mon, James. Lets go," she said, softly.

He didn't protest this time, and followed the others back to the cabin. Izzy turned to Lilly. "See? That's why you should always get a good night's sleep, or else you'll wake up with an urge to kill." she told her.

"Can't argue with that," Lilly agreed.

**-8-8-8-**

Once they got back to the cabin, Lilly built another fire, while Izzy went upstairs and found blankets for all of them to wrap up in… then wondered why she didn't bother looking for any last night when they arrived. Danny sat in front of the fire, staring into the flames silently, with Radio sitting on his lap, while Jimmy sat under the stairs in the shadows, his eyes shut. All was quiet among them.

"I… think I'll see if there's any food in the kitchen," Izzy said, tense about all the silence, then left the room.

Rudy watched her leave, then looked over at Jimmy. Keeping his blanket wrapped around himself, he walked over to the bad-boy and sat next to him. "Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper.

"Go. Away." Jimmy replied bitterly, his voice just above a whisper, keeping his eyes closed.

Rudy sighed, hurt, but didn't move. He sat next to him in silence, listening to the crackle of the fire in the fireplace, remembering when he met him… when he was lying on the ground, and began jerking in his sleep, until Silver woke him up… "He cares about you, too,"

Jimmy scowled but didn't look at him, mentally telling him to leave him alone, but he didn't. Rudy didn't say anything else, which the rebel was thankful for, and they both remained silent once again, though he wished the little homo would get up and leave. His words started to sink into his head, and suddenly he remembered what Lilly had said to him, after she told him how Silver carried him up the stairs after he passed out: _I think he likes you. Not in a romantic way… but like in a fatherly way…_

He sighed deeply, finally opening his eyes. "I know he cares…" he whispered to Rudy. "I knew it for a long time."

Rudy nodded. "So… why did you get upset when Danny said you were close to him?"

Jimmy shook his head. "It wasn't that- plus, he pushed me- but… I thought that Silver abandoned us, and Danny made it sound like I was chasing after him just because…" he sighed, burying his face into his arms. "…because I didn't want him to leave. It was bad enough that he brought it up, but he pushed the limit in calling Silver a 'frightening creature', after getting to know him…"

"Well, he IS frightening…" Jimmy gave him a glare, and he caught himself. "…But, he doesn't mean to be! I agree with you… he's not that scary once you get to know him, and Danny shouldn't have pressured you." Jimmy looked away, sighing, and Rudy put his arm around him. "We'll see him again. Don't worry."

Jimmy nodded. "Rudy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't touch me."

Rudy retracted his arm. "Sorry…" he then looked over at Danny, who sat there in silence, then looked at Jimmy. "So, are you okay?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes, then gave a small smirk. "Yeah. I'm good."

Rudy smiled, nodding in approval, then walked back over to Danny. Jimmy shut his eyes again, sighing softly. _Silver… please come back. _he thought hopefully. _Before I kick someone's ass again._

**-8-8-8-**

_If I don't need you, then why am I crying on my bed?_

Danny couldn't blink due to shock, which made it impossible for him to hold back his tears. They started trickling down his face, but he didn't wipe them away, didn't shut his eyes… he just stared as they formed in his eyes, blurring his vision and making the flames seem watery. Had he really allowed himself to pressure Jimmy, and resort to violence when he had gone too far? …He shuddered. Yes.

_If I don't need you then why does your name resound, in my head?_

Worst of all, he had done it all in front of Rudy- the only person who stuck by his side to help him after he had gotten drunk, the only person who listened to him, the only person who he… who he considered a loyal friend, next to Radio. He felt the cat on his lap, lying there cozily in a way to nonverbally comfort him, like she had done before. She reminded him of his mother- helpful when they were in a jam, caring when they were in a state of sorrow, and scolding when they did something wrong. Funny, he had never really thought about how great a mother he had until Radio reminded him of her, and suddenly more tears flooded out of his eyes.

Rudy then sat down next to him, putting an arm around him. "How are you doing?" he asked.

Danny finally blinked, looking at his friend with teary eyes. "Awful…" he sighed. "In less than a week I lose my parents, my home, allow a madman to hound you because of me, and I send a boy I hardly know over the edge and fight him up like a wild animal!" he put his face in his hands. "What's happening to me, Rudy?"

_If you're not for me, then why does this distance maim my life?_

Rudy shrugged. "Emotional distress, I guess. After being chased off cliffs, ridiculed by the cops, drunk, thrown into a river, and attacked by a troll, all the pressure finally got to your head and- without thinking- you built up the nerve to irritate Jimmy, and unleashed your nervous breakdown by fighting him." he explained. Danny sniffled, his shoulders shaking between his sobs, giving Rudy a reason to wrap both his arms around him. "Don't cry… Everyone has a nervous breakdown every once in a while- heck, I might have one too sooner or later!" When the humor didn't work, he took the prince's chin between his thumb and his finger, turning his face toward his own. "But the only thing that makes a nervous breakdown worse is not being able to overcome it. If you keep looking on the bright side and remember there's people out there who will help you, nothing can get you down." Danny just looked at him, his eyes still watery. "No more crying, okay? Everything will be alright. You'll see."

Danny sighed, pressing himself closer into Rudy's embrace, burying his face into his chest. Rudy shushed him, hugging him close and rubbing his back, lying his chin gently on top of the young prince's head. Radio stood up and walked off Danny's lap, allowing him to lean closer to his friend, and she watched, smiling as the two of them shared an embrace, seeing how caring and loving Rudy was toward Danny. The young prince wrapped his arms around his friend, pulling himself up a little so that he could bury his tear-stained face into his shoulders, and in response Rudy tipped his own head down a bit, to the point where his lips were just barely touching his forehead, sighing heavily. …Radio's jaw dropped, realizing everything just then.

_If you're not for me, then why do I dream of you, as my wife?_

_Oh. My. Gosh. _Radio thought, stunned, and wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. She shook away her shock, and sighed softly. _Well… there goes my chance of getting a kiss from Rudy. _She stood up and began walking toward the kitchen, deciding to allow the two boys to have their moment.

_I don't know life so far away,_

_But I know that it's just a trip_

Danny finally pulled out of Rudy's embrace, smiling a small smile. "Thanks…" he said, pulling his blanket back around him.

Rudy shrugged, smiling. "No problem," he replied, patting his friend on the back.

They both sat there in silence, looking at the flames, until a voice broke the quiet. "Hey," They turned and saw Jimmy, standing there with his blanket around him. He looked at Danny and sighed. _I can't believe I'm doing this, _he thought, rubbing the back of his neck, turning a bit red. "I, uh… wanted to, um…"

Danny arched an eyebrow. "Apologize?" he guessed.

"Y-Yeah, that word."

"Well, don't. …I'm the one who should apologize. _You_ told me to stop, but I didn't."

Jimmy scoffed. "Hey, I'm the one who started the whole thing. It's my fault- you were just pointing out the obvious."

"But I was the one getting in your business."

"But _I_ was the one who started the name-calling!" his tone was a bit harsh now.

"Yeah, but _**I**_ pushed you first!"

"Hey!" Rudy said, catching their attention. "How about you both apologize, and we forget the whole thing, huh?"

Jimmy sighed. "Fine," he said.

"Okay," Danny agreed.

The prince and the bad-boy looked at each other. "Sorry," They said at the same time.

_We'll make it through_

There was a silence between them, and Jimmy sat down next to Danny. "Just watch what you say about Silver, alright?" he said. "He's a good guy… and would probably smash your skull if you said shit about him."

Danny nodded. "I understand… I'm sorry." he replied, then looked at Jimmy questionably. "But, if you don't mind my asking, why do you care about him?

Jimmy looked into the flames, sighing. "Because… he's the first one to take care of me since my mom died," _And I really want him to come back and keep it up, _he thought, then shook his head. _Watch it, Jimmy. Don't go soft._

_And I hope you are the one I share my life with…_

"You mean… no one took care of you?" Rudy gasped.

Jimmy sighed. "No… I wouldn't let them. After my mom died and my step-dad abandoned me, I refused to trust anyone. I lived on the streets, mugged people, shop-lifted, and gave everyone a hard time. One day the cops finally caught me, and rather than sending me to an orphanage, they decided to take me to prison, but after I evaded them- again- I was caught by these other guards who mistook me for that troll, Roscoe, and sent me to a prison full of monsters. That's when I met Silver. We got off on a bad start, of course, but after a couple days we kind of got used to dealing with each other. Then we teamed up and escaped."

"I helped!" Lilly added, appearing next to Jimmy, smiling.

Jimmy jumped. "Gah!" he glowered at Lilly. "Could you NOT do that?"

"What? Help?" she giggled.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Never mind." he then looked at her, thoughtfully. "Lilly, can I ask you something personal?"

"Shoot."

"That one guard said you knew about what those 'shackle-symbols' things could do… how did you know?"

Lilly glared at him, but then sighed. "I guess I can tell you. After all, you ARE my friend… A long time ago, a ghost was sent to Pent Towers, and had the shackle-symbols put on him. Ghosts and wizards always had shackle-symbols on them, since they had the ability to escape Pent Towers easily, unlike the rest of the creatures. Anyway, I knew him back when I was alive- he was a little boy who got run over in a cattle stampede- and he said he was sent to the prison because he kept scaring people on purpose. 'I wasn't hurtin' anyone!' he told me. 'I was just having fun, that's all,' He then said that he saw the Heaven's Light- a light from Heaven that shines down onto earth as a beacon for unrested spirits- and told me that I should try to get to it while I still could…"

_And I wish that you could be the one I die with…_

She then sniffled. "But, I knew he wanted to reach it, too, so I decided to help him escape, figuring- since he was already dead- the symbols couldn't hurt him… But I was wrong." Tears began falling down her eyes, then. "A-As soon as we were two steps outside the prison, a shadow engulfed him, and I heard him screaming in such pain that I screamed too. Suddenly, he stopped screaming, and the shadow disappeared… and he… was… GONE!" She began to bawl just then, burying her face in her hands. "It's all my fault!"

Jimmy's jaw dropped. He wasn't expecting her story to be like THAT. "Oh, geez… Lilly, I… I'm sorry!" This time he wasn't hesitant to apologize. Rudy and Danny were stunned and silent, and Rudy wiped a tear from his eye.

Lilly sighed. "It's okay. You didn't know… It feels good, anyway, to finally tell someone." She looked into the flames. "Sometimes… I think that's why I'm still a ghost."

"Because you felt guilt?" Rudy guessed, and Jimmy elbowed him in the ribs. "Oof!"

"She was a ghost in the first place, you blonde," Jimmy hissed.

Lilly chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "No," she said with a sigh. "I think it's because I was meant to stay behind so I could help someone." She looked at all three of them, smiling. "And… this may sound silly… but I think I'm supposed to help YOU."

_And I'm praying you're the one I build my home with…_

Danny smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised." he said. "Helping Jimmy and Silver escape, helping us fight that troll…"

"…Let alone keeping me from killing Danny…" Jimmy added.

Danny sneered at him. "And vice-versa…" he turned back to Lilly, smiling. "You've been a big help."

The ghost-girl smiled, then hugged the three boys. "Thanks, guys." she said.

Her touch was cold, but they ignored it. "No, Lilly… thank YOU." Jimmy said, chuckling.

Izzy came walking back in the room, just in time to see Lilly hug the boys. "Is it getting 'fluffy' in here, or is it just you guys?" she joked once Lilly let them go.

Jimmy sneered at her. "Ah, can it,"

"Did you find anything to eat?" Rudy asked her.

Izzy shook her head, then looked out the window. "Nope… but I believe the rain finally stopped." she replied, looking out at the sunlight, then back at them. "Anyone care to go werewolf-hunting?"

Jimmy looked at the others, then back at the vampire. "After we get some more rest." he said. "We didn't get much, and we'll need all the energy we can get for our search,"

Izzy smiled, nodding. "In that case, I'll go whip up something in the kitchen for us to eat,"

Lilly arched an eyebrow. "I thought you said there wasn't anything to eat!" she said.

Izzy shrugged. "Eh. I was just testing you guys- and by 'you guys' I mean Jimmy." With that, she walked back into the kitchen.

"Oh, very funny," Jimmy called to her, sarcastically.

Izzy chuckled, then saw Radio sitting on the counter, thoughtfully. "Wanna help me with dinner?"

She shrugged. "Sure," she replied.

"Good. It'll get your mind off of the curse,"

Radio sneered at her, then sighed. She looked out at Rudy, who lied on the floor between Danny and Jimmy. _Maybe I'm wrong… _she hoped. Out of all the boys she could ask her favor from, she wanted to ask Rudy the most.

_I hope I love you all my life_

**-8-8-8-**

A/N: Review?

(NO FLAME ZONE)


	19. Chapter 19: Everything Goes Wrong

Took me a while, but inspiration finally hit me! (holds up a brick that reads "inspiration") Ouch.

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: Good news- I'm off vacation, so here's more! ;D Yes, the chapter was quite touching, but I think you'd better watch your back after calling Jimmy soft, lol and here's the next chapter, so you can stop itching!

X0X0X0X

Silver opened his eyes, his vision a bit blurry. What had happened last night? All he could remember was running through the forest, chasing after some figure, then he heard a gun-shot and everything went black. _Am I dead? _he thought, then began to wonder if he had ended up in Heaven or Hell. Once his vision cleared, he saw that he was chained against a wall in a dark cell, with sunlight filtering through a high window up near the ceiling… and noticed a tranquilizer dart sticking out of the middle of his forehead. Sighing with relief, he shook the dart off his head, glad that he was alive… but still wondered where he was, studying his dungeon-like surroundings. _Lets see… I'm not in Heaven… and I'm not in Hell… so I must be back in Pent Towers._

"Enjoy your nap?" A voice said, and he turned to see a pair of bright-yellow eyes staring at him from the corner, a pair of black boots lying on a table in front of them.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" Silver snarled.

The voice chuckled. "The name's Anthony- Anthony Putsenbutes. As for the reason why you're here… I cannot tell you."

Silver arched an eyebrow, knowing that he had heard that name before. "Putsenbutes… you mean, the same Putsenbutes who slayed that ogre back in '97?"

Even in the shadows, he could see Anthony grin vainly. "Aye- the Ogre Slayer, they called me back then."

"So, tell me, Mr. Ogre Slayer… what does a big-shot like you want with me?"

Anthony shrugged. "Eh, some guy just paid me to get rid of ya. Wanted you out of the way so he could catch some kid… a little prince, I believe."

Silver glared, clenching his fists. "Jacque! Why are you helping a creep like him?"

"Hel-LO! Didn't you hear me? He's paying me!" Anthony took out a sack full of gold. "He must want that prince out of the picture real badly if he's willing to pay me THIS much."

Silver growled, angry at the thought of Jacque hiring Anthony to get rid of him… then his eyes widened in fear. What if he had gotten the others as well? Izzy, Lilly, Radio, Rudy, Danny… and Jimmy! He pulled on the chains, trying to rip them out of the wall and get free. _I've got to find them! Shit, if Anthony killed them… _he thought, angrily.

"Don't waste your energy, wolf-man," Anthony scoffed, stepping out of the shadows and letting Silver get a good look at him. He was a cat-creature, with blonde fur, yellow eyes, wearing a wide-rimmed black hat, a black cape with red underneath, a utility belt, and a pair of black boots. Nothing else but fur. "Those chains are pure silver… and werewolves can't handle anything made of silver."

Silver growled, still determined to break the chains, but gave up. They were just too strong. "What have you done to the boys?" he demanded.

Anthony shrugged, widdling a piece of wood with a knife. "Couldn't find 'em. Besides, I was hired to catch _you_, not some snot-nosed brats- that would be too degrading to my reputation, anyway. Jacque can take care of those kids, himself."

Silver growled, then sighed. He had to get out and help the others. "Look, I don't know how much Jacque is paying you, but if you set me free, I'll pay you double- no, TRIPLE- of what he pays!"

Anthony laughed at this. "Ha! How could you, a werewolf, afford to pay my wages?"

Silver sneered. "I'm not your ordinary werewolf, cat-boy. I'm a prince!"

The cat-creature scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. If I had a dime for every time I heard THAT line, I'd be richer than a king!" He began walking toward the cell door.

"I'm serious! I'm under a curse- the only way I can break it is to learn to love someone, and earn their love in return."

But Anthony still didn't buy it. "Sounds like a rip-off of that lame Disney flick. Now, if you excuse me, some old lady needs me to slay a troll in her backyard." He began walking again.

"I'm NOT ripping off that dumb movie!" (a/n: irony…) "It's all true! I'll break the curse and pay you back… now let me go, you damn feline!"

"Ooh, temper temper… you might actually BE telling the truth! …But, then again, I can't trust creatures that I catch. For all I know, I could set you free, you could try to kill me, then I'd end up killing you, and I'd have a new rug for my living room." He opened the cell door, but before he walked out, he turned to the werewolf. "Until you begin to rot… Adios, el hombre lobo." And he slammed the door, locking Silver in the prison.

X0X0X0X

Izzy, Radio, and Lilly didn't know what happened. Either the boys had been dreaming, or something in their minds just went screwy.

Izzy and Radio had been in the kitchen, fixing some soup they found in the pantry, and Lilly had been outside, keeping watch for any signs of Jacque, the warden, and Silver. It was almost noon, and she decided to go back inside, seeing that Izzy and Radio were finished cooking, and they all walked into the living room to wake the boys- only to see the most unlikely sight…

Jimmy was sitting against the large, stuffed chair, with his left arm around Danny and his right hand curled around Rudy's stomach..

Danny was snuggled close to Jimmy, his arm reached over and holding Rudy's hand.

And Rudy was lying his head on Jimmy's lap, holding Danny's hand and sucking his thumb- his _own_ thumb, on his _other_ hand, just so you don't get the wrong idea.

Izzy had to stifle a laugh, Radio's jaw dropped, and Lilly was completely stunned. "Excuse me, a moment." the little ghost-girl said, then ran outside. From inside the house, Izzy and Radio could hear her laughing uncontrollably. She then came back inside. "Whew! Glad I got THAT out of my system…" she took one more look at Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny. "Whoops. Hang on." She ran back outside and laughed some more, then came back in.

"Feel better?" Izzy asked.

"A little… as long as I don't look at the three cuddle-muffins… *snicker* Oops." Lilly clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, and ran back outside.

Izzy rolled her eyes, then called out the window, "Don't come back in until you've got it all out!" She then turned to Radio, chuckling. "So… think we should wake 'em, or take a picture first?"

Radio rolled her eyes. "I'll handle it." she muttered, walking over to the three boys, hopping onto the chair, and cleared her throat. "(ahem) Boys? Wake up." she tapped Jimmy's head. "Come on, now. We made soup," she twiddled her tail against Danny's cheek, but he swatted it away with his free hand. "*sigh* Guess it's time for a better method." Radio took in a deep breath…

"_**REEEEEEOOOOOWWWW!**_"

…And let out the loudest, ear-piercing cat-yowl so irritating, that if Fanfic allowed this story to give out sound effects, your ears would bleed!

But, on the bright side, it woke the boys up pretty darn quick. "AUGH!" They all screamed, leaping into the air in shock- literately! Rudy ended up on a stuffed moose-head above the fireplace, Danny landed on the railing on the stairs, and Jimmy clung onto the rafters on the ceiling. Once they overcame their shock seconds later, they glared at the cat. "RADIO!"

Izzy fell back, laughing. "Damn, that was funnier than BEFORE you woke up!" she exclaimed.

Lilly ran in, a smile on her face after hearing all the screaming. "What I miss?" she asked. "Do it again!"

"Please. Don't." Danny sneered, sliding down the railing and climbing back on the floor.

"Good Lord, Radio! What are you trying to do, give us a heart-attack?" Rudy snapped, hugging the moose-head, still a little shook-up.

"I'm sorry," Radio said with a chuckle. "But it was the only way to wake you boys up,"

"Next time, use a quieter wake-up call," Jimmy scoffed, dangling his legs below him while hanging on to the rafter, then dropped back onto the floor, landing in a crouching position.

Rudy sighed, climbing down off the moose-head, onto the fireplace mantle, and hopping onto the floor. "I was having such a nice dream, too," he muttered.

"I bet," Radio said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

"Alright, we've had our humor. Now, c'mon, lets eat," Izzy said.

The three boys followed Izzy into the kitchen, each of them giving Lilly a warning glance when she began to giggle at them.

X0X0X0X

After they ate, the three boys and their friends left the cabin, ready to finish what they had started to do earlier that day: find Silver, get to the nearest town, and have the police bust Jacque and his cronies. Luck was on their side when they found a set of large wolf-prints in the muddy ground- something they had missed in the rain- and luckily the rain hadn't washed them completely away. Best of all, they were heading in the direction the town was, and without hesitation they began to follow them.

No more than 18 kilometers later did they notice an extra set of footprints, and they quickened their pace. "I knew he wouldn't abandon us," Jimmy said as he began to run. "Someone must have been stalking us!"

"From the look of these shoe-prints, they must have been some sort of hunter," Radio said, examining the footprints.

"That, or one rugged commando camper," Izzy added. She bent down, sniffing the prints to find a scent (making the others wonder about her action), then stood up. "Ugh, I can't get a clear trace. The rain washed away their scent!"

"Keep following them," Danny said. "They couldn't have gotten far!"

They kept running, following the trail and praying Silver was alright. Unfortunately, the footprints- thanks to the rain- began to grow smudged, and eventually disappeared. "Damn! Which way did they go?" Jimmy snapped, looking every which-way.

"And we were so close…" Lilly sighed sadly, shaking her head. "We'll never find him now…"

"Don't say that!" Danny and Jimmy said in unison, much to everyone's surprise.

Danny continued, first. "We can't just give up," he said. "Just because we can't see their footprints doesn't mean we can't find them!"

"Yeah, they could have made it to the town!" Jimmy said. "Sure, 8 miles is pretty far, but Silver could still get there!"

"He's probably there, now, waiting for us!" Rudy added, eagerly. "Or, he could be running back here to find us!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Radio said solemnly, examining the smudged footprints once more. "Look at these footprints- they end here, just a few steps away from Silver's, but the last set are turned around… as if facing him." she examined the prints more closely. "And, if you look close enough, these last few steps are almost mirrored images- both ends look alike, like whoever made them doubled back step-by-step toward him…" she walked over to where Silver's footprints ended, seeing that they smeared to the side, then saw a bush with a few broken stems. "And must have knocked him over or something, right into this bush…"

Immediately, they tore the bush aside, seeing a set of crooked, muddy lines leading away from their trail. Silver had been dragged away.

X0X0X0X

Chris and Chrys paced nervously. They were running out of alibis!

They had told their parents that Rudy had called earlier, saying that the other boy's parents approved of him staying the night, and asked if it was alright with their parents. When telling their mother about his whereabouts, the twins had said that their father said it was alright, and when telling their father, they said that their mother was okay with it- it worked well, since both parents weren't with each other, much to the twins' relief. And since both parents trusted each other's judgment, they never brought up the subject of giving Rudy permission to spend the night at his friend's house. Chris and Chrys' problem was taken care of for the night…

…But now it was morning- no, it was past noon, and their little brother hadn't come home yet! "Where could he be?" Chrys said, nervously. "He should have come home by now!"

"He's gotta be around here, somewhere!" Chris said, trying to sound cynical but his voice cracking ceased his attitude.

"But where? We searched the whole, frickin' town! Every neighbor, every classmate of his, every store- he's just not anywhere! …Kind to think of it, I haven't seen that other boy since the day before! *gasp* Chris… what if he was some sort of serial killer!"

Chris scoffed. "A 14-year-old serial killer?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at the times- kids Rudy's age are being corrupt, so there's no doubt some sort of sicko would kidnap him and… oh, Lord, who knows what he's done! He could have been raped, or killed… or BOTH!"

Chris shook his head. "Honestly, you watch too many horror movies." he stopped pacing, considering the thought. "Then again, it IS possible… Either that, or the kid was part of some cult- or worse, he's like that chick in 'The Orphan', and he's a dwarf adult pedophile/serial killer!"

"Eep…" Chrys squeaked. "This is bad…"

"I know… Mom and Dad will kill us if they find out! Quick, help me think of some good alibis on his disappearance! Should we go with 'he ran away to join the Peace Corpse' or 'he went to Arkansas for therapeutic help for his homosexuality problem'?"

Chrys slapped her forehead, then glared at her brother. "Is that all you can think about? Saving your own neck, while our little brother is out there being butt-hugged by some perverted murderer?"

Chris cringed. "I was saving your neck, too…" he began to mutter, but was cut off by two voices…

"WHAT?"

The twins turned to see their parents, standing in the doorway, with shocked expressions. "Oh, shit." the twins said in unison.

X0X0X0X

The drag-lines were complicated to follow, always taking random turns or going in a zig-zag pattern around the trees, and the small group was becoming exhausted the farther they followed them. "This trail just won't end!" Rudy griped, gasping for breath.

"Well, it had better, soon." Radio huffed. "My feet are killing me- all four of them!"

"Too bad you can't fly like us," Izzy said as she flew low in the air, with Lilly by her side.

"Ah, shut up and keep your eyes open!" Jimmy snapped. "You can boast about your little abnormal abilities AFTER we find Silver!"

"Yeah, until then, keep your smart remarks to yourself!" Radio added.

"Sheesh. Touch-E!" Izzy sneered.

The trail soon began leading in one direction, ending at the side of the street, where the group saw a small set of tire-tracks, looking as if the vehicle had sped off. "Aw, shit!" Jimmy cursed, kicking the pavement. "They must be miles away, by now!" he gripped his hair, jerking his body angrily. "Rotten, piece of… Damn it!" he stomped the ground, kicked the dirt, cursing some more as he did, then finally sat down on the side of the road, hanging his head low.

"Don't worry, Jimmy." Rudy said, sitting next to him. "We're gonna find him. Look… from the direction the car tracks start, I'd say they were heading in the direction of the town! They might be there…"

"I doubt it. The car probably left that town by now… even if it didn't, it wouldn't matter if we caught up to them or not. Silver's probably dead…"

"How can you say that?" Radio snapped. "One minute, you're determined to find him, and now- after a minor challenge- you start to think pessimistically!"

"And negative, too!" Lilly added.

"Uh, Lil? That's what 'pessimistic' means," Izzy said.

"Oh…"

"Besides, how do we know it was actually Silver who was dragged off?" Danny questioned. "I mean, I doubt someone in a Size 12 pair of boots could carry a werewolf that big- if they could get him knocked out, that is. For all we know, Silver could have grabbed the stalker, dragged him around the forest until they fell unconscious, and left their body on the side of the road, where some passerby found them and drove them to the nearest hospital! …That's my theory, anyway."

"But why would they have walked over to him? And from the looks of his last set of tracks, he had fell in the bushes, or something." Jimmy said, then stood up and shook his head. "Something's not right, guys. What if something bad happened to him? What if the warden or someone caught him?"

"Then he'd be back at Pent Towers, which is in the opposite direction," Lilly replied, pointing down the road. "Whereas these here tracks go that way."

"Plus, if someone did catch Silver, why would they drag him around the forest?" Danny inquired.

"Maybe they knew we'd be looking for him and would follow their tracks, and try to lead us off their trail," Rudy suggested.

Radio's eyes widened. "Or… lead us into a TRAP!"

"Bingo!" A voice cried, and suddenly several men appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Jimmy, Danny, and Rudy, holding their arms behind their backs. One man grabbed Radio and threw her into a gunny-sack, tying it shut.

"Let us go, you assholes!" Jimmy snarled, kicking his foot back and nailing a guy in the shin, freeing his left arm and punching the other guy who grabbed him. He began punching and pulling the other men away from Rudy and Danny, but several more came and grabbed hold of him again, pinning him to the ground.

One of the men aimed a gun at his head. "Don't move, or we'll decorate the pavement with your brains," he threatened. Jimmy remained still, and the other men who held him down tied a gag around his mouth.

"'On o' ah 'itch," he muffled.

Danny looked over, seeing Jacques standing there, grinning evilly. "Jacques! I should have known-" he began to say, but a gag was tied around his mouth.

"Oh, spare me the cliché lines, you little brat," Jacques scoffed. "It's bad enough that you survived… again!"

"Help! Someone, help!" Rudy screamed, until a gag was tied around his mouth… but he kept screaming, anyway. "'elph! Om-on, 'elph!" he turned and saw Izzy, who was the only one who wasn't captured. "Izthy! 'elph!"

Izzy shrugged. "I'm sorry, Rudy… I like you, but I don't think my boss will let me hang out with allies of his foes," she said, stepping up and standing by Jacques, grinning.

Jacque smiled, lying a hand on Izzy's shoulder. "Well done, my dear." he said. "I knew I could count on my best agent,"

"YOU WERE IN ON THIS WHOLE DAMNED SCHEME?" Radio screamed from inside the sack. "YOU ROTTEN BITCH! HOW COULD YOU?"

"Sorry, Nadine… but, I knew that- if I teamed up with Jacques and helped him get rid of Rudy, Jimmy and Danny, I'd be able to remain a vampire forever. If I helped you and you broke the curses on you and Silver… well, I wouldn't get to have these awesome skills."

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

Izzy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you will…"

"Holy shit!" the man who held the gunny-sack gasped. "The cat talks!"

"Whoa… weird." Another henchman said, eyes-wide.

Jacques henchmen threw Rudy, Danny, and Jimmy into the back of the truck, while another man carried Radio to the front seat. "Throw the cat into the river after you drop off the boys," Jacque ordered.

"Aw, damn it! Can't we sell her on E-bay, or make a Youtube-sensation out of her?" One of the henchmen griped.

"Yeah, we can make big bucks with her!" another henchman agreed.

"No! We can't let her telling anyone about this scheme…" Jacque snapped.

"Not that anyone would believe a talking cat, anyway," Izzy scoffed.

"Still, we can't take the chance. Dispose of her at the next river," A ladder fell down in front of Jacque, and he climbed on it. Before he took off, he grinned evilly at Danny. "If you need me, I'll be taking over my new kingdom!" With a cackle, the helicopter took off with him hanging onto the ladder.

The henchmen closed the back doors of the truck, then sped down the road to drop off Danny, Rudy, and Jimmy at… well, wherever it was, it was obviously going to be their tomb. Izzy watched them drive off, then surveyed the scene. Where was Lilly?

X0X0X0X

Lilly watched in horror as her friends were captured- except for Izzy, for some strange reason. "Don't worry, guys! I'm coming!" she cried out, running to help her friends.

"Stop right there!" A gruff voice snapped, and Lilly was grabbed and pulled into the bushes. She gasped, seeing a fellow phantom… only this one wore an old-fashioned police uniform, and was accompanied by a concrete gladiator statue, a harpy, and… the warden!

"Well, if it ain't the little ghost who helped those two criminals," The warden said, grinning darkly. Whirling her fingers around Lilly's head, she put the shackling spell on her. "Tsk-tsk. Too bad, Lilly… helping those sons of bitches won't help you get to Heaven."

"You don't understand!" Lilly cried. "They're innocent! Silver's been captured, and Jimmy and some other kids are-"

"…Being taken to their own prison, yes. You know, kid, you shouldn't get involved in human affairs… especially criminal ones."

"HE'S NOT A CRIMINAL! HE AND SILVER ARE BOTH INNOCENT!"

The warden just sneered at her. "I'm sure. Take her away, boys," With that, she walked off.

The two guards dragged Lilly off. "NO! They need our help! They'll be killed! You've gotta believe me! Please! Oh, Jimmy! Silver! Someone, please! You gotta believe me…" her cries started to fade the farther they dragged her, until they could be heard no more.

X0X0X0X

A/N: Review, please!

Flames… no thank you.


	20. Chapter 20: After the Second Suspense

And now, at long last, a new chapter!

Crowd: HOORAY! =D

Yeah. I figured you'd like that.

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: I believe we ALL can relate to Jimmy, somehow, yet your review still speaks deeply. I'm glad you like this!

Starspring: Sorry if you got too suspens'd! I think I went too far when I said Izzy was with the bad guys… or IS she? Lol Don't worry, our heroes will get out of this… hopefully.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

The three boys remained silent as the truck drove down the road… of course, they probably wouldn't be able to talk anyway with their gags in their mouths. In just a matter of hours, all their hopes were shattered, and now they were heading toward the end of their lives.

Rudy sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, and he rested his face on them, wishing his wrists weren't bound so he could cover his tear-stained face with his hands. If he had known he was going to die this soon, he would have told his parents how much he loved them… and how the twins abused him. Maybe then they would have sent them to juvenile hall, while he could live an abuse-free life, make friends at school by straightening out the rumors they told, and live a happier life. …But, no. He was tied up and gagged, picturing the looks on his parents' faces as they wondered where he was and what happened, growing more worried with every passing moment. The thought made his heart ache… what hurt more was the fact that Izzy- the girl (or vampire, I should say) he grew to trust- had betrayed them, taking their trust in her and smashing it into a million pieces, as if it were a fragile artifact that she no longer cared for. Tears kept rolling out of his eyes, and he was thankful that his gag muffled his sobs so the other two wouldn't hear him.

Danny sat a couple feet from Rudy, near the middle of the truck. He had his head down, thinking about what all went wrong in his life…. How he hated the life he had before, not being thankful for his parents or for all the luxurious possessions he once had… how he wanted to run away to live a normal life… Then, after his parents were killed and he was saved by a talking cat and a boy who was constantly abused, he found out there was no such thing as a normal life for him. To prove it, he had met a vampire who stabbed them in the back, a werewolf who had disappeared from them, and a little ghost-girl… who was nowhere to be seen. Danny wondered whether she was still around, or if she was part of the scheme as well. He didn't think about it long, though. All he thought about was the fact that he was about to become a ghost himself, possibly wandering the earth for eternity, until he could find a way to bring Jacque to justice and avenge his parents… oh, how he missed them, his heart aching to be held in his mother's arms, to hear his father call his name… He looked over at Rudy, and felt guilty that he allowed himself to bring his friend into this tragedy.

Jimmy sat in the back corner, his back turned to the other two, his thoughts in a frenzy. One minute, he and Silver were free, but thanks to those other boys he was on his way to the execution. It was wrong for him to blame them, but who else could he pin the responsibility of this damn situation on? If they hadn't agreed to help Danny and Rudy, he and Silver would be in the next town by now! …Then, of course, there was Izzy. The vampire bitch betrayed them, luring them to their grave, just so she could remain a bat-girl forever. And Lilly… he didn't know where she was. Either she had abandoned them or had teamed up with Izzy… Knowing the ghost-girl well, he figured it was the first one, for he knew the fact that Lilly would never do anything to hurt them, but was probably startled by the ambush and just faded away to hide, hoping that they'd get out on their own. Sadly, that didn't happen, and now Jimmy was back where he started from: in a truck, heading for a place that was undoubtedly the tomb he was going to rot in.

The truck came to a stop and the henchmen pulled them out, shoving them toward a large prison with stone walls and barred windows. For some reason, Jimmy was starting to miss Pent Towers.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Lilly sat in the back of the truck, weeping as she stared at the black symbols floating around her wrists. Never in her life did she think she would ever have to wear them… but now, here she was, bound by the dark symbols that kept her from escaping the truck. She pulled her knees up to her chest and began to bawl, thinking of what horrors were being inflicted on her friends, and how she wished that she was with them now- to help them- rather than being hauled to a prison. "Oh, Mama, what am I gonna do?" she cried, burying her face in her hands.

"I don't know, but you'd better not give up," A voice said. Lilly gasped, then turned to see a boy of at least seven sitting next to her. She recognized him, easily.

"Tommy! W-What are you doing here?"

"I came to give you a hand," Tommy grabbed her wrists, making the shackle-symbols disappear, then waved his hand at the ones above her head. "There. That should help you escape."

"What… but how…?"

Tommy chuckled. "Them spells don't affect angels of God, Lilly. There ain't no greater power than His." he then stood up, showing that he had angel-wings. "I'll see you in Heaven, Lilly… Now, hurry up and help them boys!" A beam of light shined on him, and he disappeared.

Lilly sat there, stunned, but smiled and flew out of the truck and into the air, thanking God for sending her an angel to help her. Now, she had to help her friends… wherever they are.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

As the three boys were taken to their prison, Radio was carried away in a sack, toward a raging river. "I'm telling you, Jacque won't find out we disobeyed him until he sees us with this cat on a talk show!" One of the henchmen said. "We'll video-tape her talking, send it in, become famous, and THEN kill her after something bigger happens!"

"Dude, for the last time, NO." Another henchman scoffed. "Jacque gave us strict orders, and if we disobey him, we're gonna end up like that spoiled prince! …Besides, people aren't really into talking animals that much, anymore- especially the way the media is acting."

They tossed the sack into the river, and Radio thrashed violently as the cold water seeped through the sack. "Help!" she cried out, her words coming out as a gurgle. _Oh, who am I kidding? No one will hear me under water… I'm as good as dead…_

Suddenly, she felt the bag being lifted, and someone untied the top of it, letting the cat out of the bag (a/n: rofl). Gasping for air and shaking herself dry, she turned to see her rescuer… A girl in a colorful bikini top with long, beautiful hair, part of it pinned back with a sea-shell. "Ugh, I hate it when people throw cute little animals into sacks and throw them in the river to drown. It's just too cruel!" the girl scoffed.

"Oh, thank you!" Radio exclaimed, hugging the girl.

"Oh! You talk," The girl giggled, stroking the cat's back. "And what is your name, Ms. Cat?"

"My name is Princess Nadine of Nelvaria, but friends call me Radio."

The girl giggled, her fin splashing in the water… Wait, fin? "Pleasure to meet you, your majesty. I am Starspring, Mermaid Princess of the eastern river."

Radio bowed. "I thank you again for rescuing me. Now, I must find my friends and save them from a dreadful fate,"

"Oh? Are they talking animals as well?"

Radio shook her head. "No. Three of them are human boys, one is a werewolf, and another is a ghost. One of the boys is a prince, who has been kidnapped by a wicked man who plans on killing him for his throne."

Starspring gasped. "How dreadful! …For such a task, you may need this…" she took the sea-shell out of her hair and handed it to Radio. "If you are in a tight situation, just smash this shell on the ground, and the power of the sea will handle your problem."

Radio held onto the shell. "Thank you… Oh, how can I ever repay you?"

Starspring smiled. "Tell your little prince-friend that I expect a kiss of gratitude," with that and a wink, she dove back into the water.

Radio held on to the shell, then began running in the direction where she had heard the henchmen speaking (before they tossed her into the river) and went to save her friends, hoping to reach them in time.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Three cat-creatures stood at the doorway, one of them being Anthony. One of the cat-creatures, who had black fur and bright green eyes, grabbed Rudy and began leading him down one corridor, while the other cat-creature, with brown fur and darker-brown stripes, grabbed Danny and lead him down a different corridor. Both boys glanced at each other worriedly, wishing that- if they were going to die- they could remain together.

Anthony led Jimmy down another corridor, and he muffled words through his gag. "You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, kid," Anthony joked, untying Jimmy's gag.

Jimmy spat, trying to get the taste of the gag out of his mouth. "He could have shot us, he could have slit our throats… but noooo! That damn Frenchman decided to have a bunch of over-grown kittens kill us!" he muttered.

Anthony sneered. "Watch it, kid. Cat-creatures are capable of killing their victims in more than a thousand ways- each incredibly painful enough to make you wish you died quicker."

"Yeah, yeah. I hate to break it to you, Pussycat, but you're not the most vicious monster I've seen all week."

The cat-creature huffed. "For your information, boy, I'm NOT a monster. I HUNT monsters- the ogre being my profession."

"So, what are you doing helping a French-guy kill a bunch of kids?"

"Money… though I won't be the one killing you." They stopped in front of a cell.

"Yeah? Then who is?"

Anthony grinned, patting the door. "The creature I have locked away in this room." He took a set of keys off the hook of his belt and unlocked the door, then untied Jimmy's wrists and pushed through. "In you go!"

"Oh, HECK NO!" Jimmy kept his balance and spun around, kicking Anthony in the shin and punching him in the face. "There is NO WAY I'm letting an over-sized cat feed me to some creep!"

Anthony snarled, then punched Jimmy in the face, making him fall back. In response, Jimmy kicked him between the legs, then tackled him. But Anthony was quicker and pinned Jimmy down, punching and clawing at him-

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Silver heard voices outside the cell door, then watched it open. _Anthony must've caught another, _he thought, letting out a sigh. He didn't care much, though… all he cared about was what had become of those boys… let alone Jimmy.

"Oh, HECK NO!" A familiar voice shouted, and Silver jerked his head up, seeing to his surprise that Jimmy was fighting the cat-creature. He cringed when he watched Jimmy get punched, but relief swept over him when he saw the kid tackle Anthony…

But his relief disappeared as quick as it came, for moments later Anthony walked in, dragging Jimmy into the cell and throwing him onto the floor. "Here. Mealtime." he said to Silver, then walked out.

"Jimbo," Silver gasped, pulling with all his might to free himself of his chains. But they were silver, and Silver couldn't handle silver… But that didn't keep him from trying. He pulled with all his might, but couldn't break the chains, just make a tiny piece of the stone wall crumble off.

Then a loophole hit him. He couldn't break the _chains_, but he could break the _wall_! He grabbed the chains tightly, wrapping them around his wrists to get a firm grip, then began to pull again. _C'mon… break! _he urged inside his head, straining every muscle in his body. After five minutes, his arms began to ache, and he developed a pain in his chest, but he kept pulling. He had to get free… he had to get to Jimmy! He stopped pulling to catch his breath, and doubt began to fill his mind of breaking the wall. He leaned his head back… which gave him ANOTHER idea!

Bending his head forward then jerking it back, Silver began banging it against the wall, hard. It was painful, and gave him one hell of a headache, but the sound of the wall cracking kept him at it. Finally, after hitting his head on the wall twelve times (developing a migraine, in the meanwhile) Silver once again tugged the chains, hearing the wall crackle. With a large snarl and a hard pull, a chunk of the wall broke, falling to the floor… along with Silver and his chains. They were still locked on his wrists and attached to the bricks they were sealed in, but Silver didn't care. He was still able to get to Jimmy, and that's all that mattered.

He crawled over to Jimmy, huffing and puffing, out of breath. "Jimmy…" he gasped once he got close enough. The sight was horrible: his shirt was shredded, with blood seeping through it, and Anthony had left deep claw marks on his face and throat, and… he was hardly breathing. "Oh, Jim…" Silver scooped him up and held him in his arms. "I'm so sorry… If I hadn't took off after Anthony, you… oh, shit…" he held him close, resting his chin on top of his head.

"If you start crying on me… I'm telling everyone at Pent Towers… that you have a soft spot… for little boys…" A voice coughed out, and Silver gasped and looked down, seeing that Jimmy was alive.

"Jimbo! You're alive!"

"No shit, Sherlock. What, did you honestly think that giant pussy could kill me with a few swipes of his claws?"

Silver chuckled, mostly out of relief, then gave Jimmy a hard glance. "What did I tell you about picking fights, retard? Were you TRYING to get yourself killed?"

Jimmy smirked. "Nope. Even better." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a set of keys. "I guess Anthony overlooked one thing: I'm a professional pick-pocket."

"All RIGHT! Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" Silver patted Jimmy on the back. "Way to go, kid. …Shall we bust out of here, find the others, and give Anthony a run for his money?"

Jimmy tried to stand up, but let out a groan and began to fall, and Silver quickly caught him. "Yeah, c'mon, we've got to find them… before… ohh…"

"Maybe you should rest first, kid. You took quite a beating."

"What? …Heck no, I… don't need rest… We gotta… help 'em before… they… get…" Jimmy let out a cough and stumbled, gripping on to Silver to keep his balance. "…killed."

Silver held on to Jimmy, guiding him over to a corner where he sat and lied the boy down, gently. "Easy, Jimmy. They'll be fine- I know Anthony, he's too proud to kill humans." But looking at Jimmy, he had his doubts. "Just rest. I'll go find them…"

Silver looked at Jimmy, wondering why he suddenly cared so much about those boys… Then again, he himself was concerned about them too, and decided not to question. He was about to leave to find them, until he felt Jimmy grip his arm. "Don't… leave me… please." with that, he shut his eyes, resting his head on Silver's arm.

_Anthony must've punched him pretty hard to make him THIS sentimental. _Silver thought, surprised at the boy's action. He looked at him, seeing a hint of worry in his expression… a hint of…fear. Was he scared to be alone? No, of course not- he had lived on the streets almost all his life by himself. He looked at how the boy clung onto his arm, then realized he wasn't scared to be alone… he was scared to be away from _him_.

"It's okay, Jimbo…" Silver whispered, pulling back his arm and wrapping it around Jimmy, careful not to let the chain touch him. In response, the boy grabbed his abdomen, burying his face into his fur, and Silver wrapped both of his arms around him. "It's alright. I'm here."

He heard Jimmy sigh, and saw that he had fallen asleep. Silver decided that he'd look for the other boys after he woke up…

"Who made this hole in the wall?" he heard someone shout.

"Oh, damn." Silver said. He grabbed the keys and- carrying Jimmy in one arm- ran over to the door, unlocked it, and ran out, his chains rattling on the floor behind him and making noise. "Oh, double damn!" He picked up the chains and wrapped him around his free arm, then continued running, promising himself that he was going to skin Anthony alive for all this.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

The black cat-creature opened the cell door, then untied Rudy's hands. "Get in there," she said… Yes, one of the cat creature's is a GIRL. Rudy obeyed and walked in, head-down. There was a wooden bench against the wall and he sat down on it, removed his gag, and began to weep.

"Ooh, I wasn't expecting to get a girl…" A voice hissed, and Rudy looked up to see a hansom man with spiky black hair… and a dozen tentacles in place of legs. He had a look of lust in his eyes, which worried Rudy.

"I-I-I'm not a g-girl…" Rudy stammered backing away.

"You're not? …Awkward…" he then grinned. "Oh, well… I'll just eat you, then." His tentacles reached out toward the boy.

_I wish Danny was here… _he found himself thinking as he backed away, pressing himself against the wall as the tentacles wrapped around his legs…

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Meanwhile with Danny, he was thrown into an empty cell. "By the way, are you the prince?" The cat-creature asked him as he untied his wrists.

Danny removed his gag. "Yeah…" he sighed, once again regretting being royalty.

"Here," The cat-creature handed him an apple, then locked him inside the cell.

Danny sighed and sat down, looking at the apple. He was about to bite into it, but then remembered his dream about his mother biting into the fruit and collapsing, and he dropped it at once. Plus, he didn't trust any kind of food given to him by monsters.

Thinking about his mother once again brought sorrow to his soul… then anger boiled inside of him once Jacque reached his thoughts. Grabbing the apple, he angrily chucked it at the wall- only to have it bounce off and hit him in the forehead, knocking him out. A tiny piece of it managed to scrape off on the wall, making it look like it was bitten into…

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Radio ran through the forest reaching the road… stopping when she saw a bald, Caucasian man wearing a black jacket and pants, and a bald African-American man wearing a green sweater and jeans, and sported a 3-headed snake tattoo on his head. "Excuse me, gents," Radio called to them, running over to them. They looked at her, arching an eyebrow, then remembered that she was a cat. "First of all, don't freak out. Yes, I'm a talking cat. No, you're not wasted or high."

"Why would we freak out about a talking cat?" the Caucasian man scoffed, smoking a cigarette.

Radio sighed with relief. "I need your help. Did you happen to see a black van drive by, earlier?"

"Yeah, it went that way," the man with the tattoo said, pointing down the road. "Why?"

"I have friends who are in danger."

"Yeah? Are they talking animals, too?" The other man asked.

Radio rolled her eyes. "No. Three of them are young boys, one is a ghost, and another one is a werewolf. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

The first man arched an eyebrow. "A werewolf?" Radio nodded. "Did he have black fur?" she nodded again. "Was he hanging out with a brunette boy in ragged clothing?" She nodded again. "…That sounds like Silver."

"Do you know him?"

The man grinned. "Oh, yeah. We're good buddies of his,"

"We used to hang out ALL the time," the man with the tattoo said, grinning. His face then turned to shock. "Wait, if Silver's in trouble, we'd better find him!"

"Hold up. What kind of danger is he in?" the other man asked.

"I don't know. All I know is the boys were taken away, and they're all going to be killed by a French-guy!" Radio replied.

"Well, I hope Mr. Frenchy likes extra company, because we're not letting him kill Silver OR those boys!"

"Oh, thank you… What are your names?"

The first man grinned. "Call me 'Ace'."

"Call me 'Meds'." The man with the tattoo said.

"Well, c'mon, gentlemen! We've got to- ACK!" Radio began to say, but was suddenly lifted into the air and taken into the cloud-cover.

"Whoa. Freaky."

Ace shrugged. "Eh, she'll probably come back down." he scoffed, tossing his cigarette to the ground and stomping on it. "…Now, c'mon, Meds. We've got to stop that French-guy before he kills Silver before we do… and ruins those three boys before I get my hands on them."

Meds sneered at Ace. "Dude. You have a problem."

With that, they began running down the road in the direction of the black van, in search for their victims of revenge.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

A/N: So… Click the little button that says 'Review' to tell me how you liked it. Click the 'Flame' button to criticize me… oh, wait, THERE ISN'T ONE! Ha ha!

Seriously. Review. No flame.


	21. Chapter 21: The Secret's Out!

_Since I am being attacked by plot-bunnies…_

_Plot bunnies: (hold up spears) YAAAH!_

_AUGH! …Here's the next chapter! (runs off)_

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: To answer your question- jailbreak. And don't worry, you're not evil in the story, and you're welcome ;)

Fangface the second: Relating to Silver, eh? That's new, lol

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Radio thrashed in the air, trying to escape whoever had a hold of her. "Shh, don't worry. It's just me." A voice whispered, and Lilly appeared.

"Lillian! What in the world…? Where have you been?" Radio demanded.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around to help, but that dad-gummed warden from Pent Towers caught me! Luckily, God sent me an angel and set me free."

Radio arched an eyebrow. "How could anyone catch a ghost?"

"By using another ghost, that's how. …Now, if you're done with your questioning, let me ask you this: what in the wild world were you doing with Ace and Meds? Don't ya'll know they're dangerous?"

"Dangerous? They said they were friends of Silver's!"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "They ain't his friends, you Meow-Mix muncher! They're deadly criminals from Pent Towers! …And I have a hunch they have a bone to pick with Silver and Jimmy…"

Radio gasped quietly. How could she have been so naïve? "C'mon, we'd better find Silver and James then, before those two renegades get to them, first."

"I'm way ahead of you, kitty-cat!" Lilly hung on to Radio tightly and flew through the sky, keeping an eye out for their friends AND the masterminds who were after them.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

"No! Get away from me!" Rudy screamed, grabbing hold of the legs of the bench as the tentacled monster dragged him toward him, only to end up dragging the bench along as well.

"Oh, stop resisting already," The monster scoffed, looking at the nails of his human hand boredly. "All I'm going to do is squeeze every last breath out of you, crush your bones, and devour you bit-by-bit. You won't even feel a thing." He grabbed the boy's arms with two more tentacles, yanking his hands off the bench and pulling him forward, then held him up face-to-face. "Now… If you were a girl, I wouldn't kill you so quickly…" Once again, Rudy saw lust in his eyes and began to tremble. "But, you're not… Unless you lied about being a boy."

"I AM a boy! Now, l-let me go, or I-I'll s-scream!"

The monster just chuckled. "For someone who isn't a girl, you sure sound like one. …Go ahead, scream all you want. The guard out there won't care, anyway-"

"WHAT THE HECK?" The guard outside shouted, alerting the monster.

They heard snarling, and suddenly the guard smashed into the door, breaking it down. In the doorway stood Silver, holding Jimmy in one arm and balling a fist with the other. "Let the kid go," he said to the monster, setting Jimmy down.

"Get your own, wolf-man!" The monster snapped, tightening his grip on Rudy. "I've already called dibs on this morsel!"

Silver lowered his arms, and Rudy noticed the chains wrapped around them. He let them unravel, and began swinging them. The monster growled at the threat, but Silver didn't hesitate and swung one of the chains- which still had a chunk of brick on it- and hit the monster in the face, then swung the other one, making it wrap around his throat. The monster dropped Rudy, who quickly ran beside Silver. 

"Grab Jimmy and go find Danny," Silver said, tugging on the chain and pulling the monster forward. He handed Rudy a set of keys. "I'll handle this freak-show." The monster reached his tentacles out to grab Silver, and in response the werewolf picked up the unconscious guard and threw her at the monster. "Go!"

Rudy obeyed, grabbing Jimmy and pulling him out of the cell. He looped one of his arms around his own shoulders, and began carrying him down the corridor. He noticed how beat-up the rebel looked, and gagged at the blood stains on his shirt, but kept moving. He heard voices coming from down the corridor, and ducked behind an old suit of armor, watching as a group of cat-creatures ran past, possibly alerted by the brawl going on between Silver and that monster.

As he ran down the corridor, he saw one cat-creature was still at his post- the one who led Danny away. Rudy's mind raced furiously, as he tried to figure out an alibi to tell the cat-creature to lure him away from the cell. Finally, he got an idea- it was dumb, it was crazy, but it was STILL an idea. He ran up to the cat-creature, still carrying Jimmy, and looking frantic. "Oh, thank God!" he cried, alarming the cat-creature.

"What the…? How did you get out?" The cat-creature demanded, reaching for Rudy.

"Some psycho-monster broke out of his cell! He broke into me and my friend here's cell, next… (sniffle) I tried to stop him, but the idiot tried to fight the monster himself!" He then held Jimmy by the armpits, up to his face. "Damn you, Jimmy? Why did you have to be so daring? WHY?"

"Where's your guard?" 

"Probably with the others, trying to catch that beast! All the guards are trying to catch it, before it tries to kill someone else!"

The cat-creature arched an eyebrow, then unlocked the cell door. "Get in there. We don't need any more prisoners escaping while some freak is on the loose…"

"Oh, THANK YOU!" Rudy cried, letting go of Jimmy and hugging the cat-creature. "I don't care if we're locked up, as long as we're away from that… that friend-killer!"

"Alright, let go!" The cat-creature pulled Rudy away, shoving him into the cell and throwing Jimmy in next. "Sheesh, what is it about girls and monsters that makes them so screwy?" He slammed the door.

"Hey! Diego, c'mon!" Another cat-creature guard called. "We've got a brawl in Cell 17, and we need an extra hand!" The cat-creature followed his comrade.

Rudy sat in the cell, crawling over to Jimmy to make sure he was alright. He was still breathing, which relieved him a bit, then picked him up by the armpits and carefully dragged him over to the wall, propping him up in a comfortable sitting position. Turning around, he saw something that caused him to both smile and gasp frantically: Danny was lying on the ground, unconscious. Hurrying over to get a closer look, Rudy saw an apple that looked like it was bitten into, laying right next to the young prince.

Wait.

A bitten apple?

An unconscious prince?

"Oh, no…" Rudy gasped, knowing he had seen something like this before. …Okay, so it was in a movie, but it was still the same situation! _That apple must be poisonous! Oh, why did it have to happen to Danny? WHY? _(Of course, what Rudy didn't know was that Danny had thrown the apple, and it bounced off the wall and hit him in the forehead hard enough to knock him out, leaving a bruise that he didn't notice, and that the so-called 'bite-mark' on the apple was actually a result of it scraping against the wall during impact). He held the prince in his arms, beginning to weep. _Oh, I can see something like this happening in a fairy-tale, but not to Danny! …Oh, what am I going to do?_

Then, an idea struck him- another crazy, dumb idea. He would just use what they used in the fairy-tale to wake him up: a kiss. _But, it was 'true love's first kiss'. _Rudy remembered. _As hansom as Danny is, he's probably kissed thousands of girls! And that CPR moment we had would probably count, too. …Plus, I doubt I'm his actual 'true love'. _He looked down at Danny, gazing at his beautiful face, and his soft lips. _Oh, well! It's worth a shot!_

(a/n: for those of you who aren't into this sort of thing, I'd suggest you scroll down a bit farther and skip it. Otherwise, continue, and enjoy)

Shutting his eyes, he leaned over slowly, and gently pressed his lips against the young prince's. Within that moment, Rudy's heart raced, and he felt as light as air… maybe lighter, like helium! Even though his eyes were shut, he saw colors swirl around him, and- dare I use this cliché- felt fireworks explode all around them. He pressed his lips closer, taking in a short breath as he did, pulling the prince closer to him. Then the unthinkable happened: Danny's lips moved… and he kissed back! _Eeeee… _Rudy squeaked inside his head as the young prince wrapped his arms around him, running his hand through his hair.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

Danny looked around, seeing nothing but darkness. _Where am I? Am I dreaming? _he thought as he 'floated' through the infinite blackness. Suddenly, he noticed a hint of light in front of him, and began moving toward it. He remembered all those sayings that- if you black out, then see a light at the end of a tunnel- you should stay away from the light. Of course, he didn't think he was in a tunnel, and even if he DID want to avoid the light, he didn't have much will power to do so. It was as if the light was dragging him toward itself.

The light got brighter and brighter, and soon Danny had to shield his eyes. Finally, the light dimmed a bit, and he noticed he was no longer in the dark, but surrounded by white instead… and noticed a girl standing before him. She had long, smooth yellow hair, sparkling green eyes, and wore a long, slim, white dress, and she smiled at him. He gave a weak smile back, feeling a bit shy, and the girl giggled at him, then stepped closer.

Danny backed away a little, when the girl was an inch away from him, but she lied a hand on his shoulder and caressed his face, as if telling him there was nothing to be afraid of. He relaxed a little, and let the girl wrap her arms around him… then gently pressed her lips onto his. _Why is she kissing me? I hardly know her! _Danny thought, yet didn't care too much as he shut his eyes and took in her embrace. She pressed her lips closer to his, and he felt her smiling, and he moved his lips a bit, parting them a little. She parted hers a little to, and he took her upper lip between his, 'nibbling' it slightly with them, while she did the same with his bottom lip. The girl opened her mouth a little wider then, and he made the daring move of slightly sticking his tongue into her mouth, just touching the tip of hers, then retracted quickly, feeling it was a bit rushed to pull THAT move. She didn't mind, apparently, because she did the same to him. This time, he didn't hold back. 

It felt so real…

He then wrapped his arms around her, running his hand through her short, poofy, blonde hair… Wait. Short? Poofy? It was long and smooth a minute ago. Danny opened his eyes to look at the girl…

…Literately opening his eyes in real life to see that the 'girl' was actually Rudy! "What the &%$ are you guys doing?" A voice asked, and he turned to see Jimmy sitting against the wall, covered in scratches and bruises with a blood-stained shirt.

"Mmf!" Danny gasped, pulling away. "Rudy?"

"Danny?" Rudy gasped, only he sounded more happy. "Oh, thank God! You're alive!" he then hugged him.

But Danny pushed him away. "What the…? What were you doing, kissing me?"

Rudy cringed. "You… bit into that apple…" he pointed to the apple on the ground. "And… you were unconscious, so…"

Danny slapped his head. "I didn't BITE the apple, you twit! I threw it at the wall, and it bounced off and hit me in the head!"

Jimmy stood up, leaning against the wall to support himself, then saw a trace of apple on the wall. "Yep. Apple-sauce on the wall proves it," he said, then turned to Rudy, grabbing the keys from him. "So, Snow White, are you and your 'Prince Charming' going to continue your make-out session, or should we get out of here?"

"First, I want to know why you decided to… _kiss_ me, rather than checking to make sure I was just unconscious!" Danny demanded, snapping at Rudy. 

"Well, how was I supposed to know you were knocked out by an apple?" Rudy said defensively, cringing at the sound of Danny's raging voice.

Danny sneered and lifted his bangs, showing a large bruise on his forehead. "The proof's right here! …Trust me, I can _feel_ it. You couldn't have missed THIS! You had no right to just KISS me, like that!"

"Question is, why did YOU kiss him? I mean, didn't the fairy-tale say that a 'true love' had to be the one to kiss the idiot who bit the apple?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah…" Rudy said meekly, chewing on his bottom lip.

"So, how come you did, then? I mean, c'mon, a guy kissing another guy to wake him from a sleeping spell? Who'd think of a crazy thing like…" Jimmy then paused, seeing Rudy blushing, biting his lower lip while trying to hold back tears. "Oh, my gosh… Are you…?"

Rudy looked away from Jimmy, turning his gaze toward Danny, which turned out to be a mistake because the prince was giving him a cold stare, waiting impatiently for his answer. He looked down at the ground, letting the tears fall from his eyes, then took in a deep breath. "Yes…" he whispered, loud enough for them to hear. "I am."

Danny's eyes widened and Jimmy's jaw dropped, while Rudy fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands. _He's… he's actually… He's honestly… he's a hom… And he… HUH? _Danny thought, having a loss for words.

"To tell the truth… I was NOT expecting that." Jimmy said, equally stunned.

Suddenly, the cell door swung open and there stood Silver. He had a black eye, a scratch mark on his chest, and the chains locked on his arms had been broken, leaving two or three links dangling on the cuffs. "Guys… We gotta move. NOW." he said, then ran down the corridor.

Immediately, the boys stood up and began following Silver. Jimmy stumbled a bit, so the other two boys had to hook his arms around their shoulders to help him move. Jimmy arched an eyebrow at Rudy, but shook off his awkwardness and focused on the situation at hand. Rudy looked over at Danny, who avoided his gaze, then sighed sadly. _Way to go, homo. You let the secret out, AND ruined your one and only friendship. _he scolded himself.

They followed Silver around the corner, then ducked inside a closet. Silver shushed them, and they watched as a group of cat-creatures ran by, no doubt searching for the escaped prisoners. Making sure the coast was clear, he walked out of the closet, keeping a hand on Jimmy's shoulder as the boy gripped onto a handful of his fur to keep himself steady. Danny came out next. "My goodness, what was THAT all about?" the prince asked.

"Lets just say, giant cats don't like it when you throw an over-grown tentacled monster that you strangled to death at them. Obviously, they don't find it as humorous as you would." Silver replied. He looked over at an open window, an idea coming to mind. "Listen, if we're going to get out of here, we're going to have to dive through that window."

Danny looked out the window, seeing that they were three-stories high. "Are you nuts? We'd get killed!"

"Kid, we're going to get killed in a more painful way if we don't do it. I'll go first- since, being a werewolf, I have a greater chance of surviving than you do- then the rest of you jump out. I'll catch you, then we'll run. Sound good? Good."

Danny sighed, but knew they had no other choice. They began walking toward the window, then Silver paused, looking over his shoulder to see that Rudy was still crouching down in the closet. "C'mon, Rudy, we've got to move!" But Rudy wouldn't move, only looked down at the ground, sadly. "Lets go, kid! We've got a ton of guards looking for us, who will be passing by any minute!" Rudy sighed, but didn't move, and Silver rolled his eyes. "C'mon, kid, or the guards will find you! So, you'd better come out of the closet, quick!"

At that last sentence, Jimmy burst out laughing, falling to the ground (despite the pain), and bursting out into guffaws, kicking his legs and holding his stomach.

Silver arched an eyebrow. "What the heck is wrong with you?" he asked Jimmy.

"Heh heh… S-Sorry, Silver, it's just that…" Jimmy tried to explain, but gave one look at Rudy in the closet and fell back laughing. 

"He already came out of the closet," Danny scoffed, avoiding Rudy's glance.

Silver looked at the three boys, then shook his head. "Oh, for the love of… Grow up already!" he snapped at Jimmy, then walked over to Rudy, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him out of the closet. "Lets go." They then walked over to the window, and Silver- like he said- jumped out first, going in a nose-dive. Once he was close enough to the ground, he shot out his paws and did a hand-spring, landing on his two feet. He then looked up at the boys. "Alright, your turn!"

Jimmy went first. "Good thing this isn't my first time jumping down from 3 stories," he said as he pulled himself into the window frame, then jumped. He spread his arms out, folding his left leg up while straightening his right leg downward, in an attempt to make a smooth enough landing in case Silver didn't catch him. Fortunately, he did.

Rudy and Danny heard shouts coming from down the corridor. "We'd better move fast." the prince said bluntly, not even looking at Rudy, then climbed through the window and jumped. Rudy watched him fall and be caught by Silver, then the werewolf motioned him to jump next.

The shouts grew louder, and Rudy quickly climbed into the window frame, staring down at the green ground below. He looked at Jimmy and Silver, who were motioning him to hurry up, then at Danny, who just stood there, looking at him with emotionless eyes. Seeing the prince gaze like that caused his heart to ache, and he shut his eyes and leaned forward, letting himself just fall rather than jump.

"Holy shit-" Silver gasped, seeing that Rudy was falling from a longer distance, and quickly ran up and caught him before he hit the ground. "Jeez, kid, don't you know how to jump out a window? You could have killed yourself!"

Rudy said nothing, and Silver set him down, and the four of them began to run away from the prison. He looked back at the prison at the window, sighing deeply. _That's what I was planning to do… _he thought, then picked up his pace to keep up with the others.

**~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~**

A/N: (in sing-song) Dra-ma!

Alright, sorry if I [once again] scarred you guys for life with this chapter, but please don't flame me for it!


	22. Chapter 22: Judgement

Now, in order to ease down on the drama a bit, here's the next chapter!

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: I'll put you in… IF you can guess the fairy-tale cameo Anthony represents ;)

Starspring: Yeah, I guess I overdid it by putting Rudy through that :p And don't worry, Lily and Radio will find the boys soon!

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

"…And you'd BETTER hope he's okay!" Mr. Homes snapped at the twins before he pulled out of the driveway and down the street.

The twins had finally gotten through telling their parents about Rudy and the boy- the _truth_, this time. Chrys told them she had seen Rudy and the boy riding through town on his bike, followed by that cat he had found the other night, and Chris added how they saw them at the party Saturday night, but lost track of them until they rushed back home and found Rudy in bed. "But we haven't seen him since then!" the twins said in unison… only Chrys sounded more worried than her brother. The more she thought about what happened, the more concerned she became, and repeating the story out loud didn't ease her discomfort, and she began to slightly wince.

Now, as their parents drove to the police station to report that their son was missing, the twins climbed into their car and began searching the neighborhood for their little brother, asking a few kids they saw at the party if they've seen him or the other boy. Sadly, they didn't.

"I swear, as soon as we find him, I'm gonna kill him for putting us through this!" Chris said through gritted teeth as they drove.

"How can you say that?" Chrys snapped. Unlike her brother, she didn't feel any abusive-urges against her little brother, but was more worried sick. "He could be killed even as we speak!" Chris said nothing, focusing on his driving. _This is bad. We should have asked him WHO that boy WAS, rather than try to black-mail him! _Chrys thought, feeling a pang of guilt welling up inside her gut, and she looked out the window, keeping her eyes open, then saw a police officer on the corner. "There's a cop. Pull up," Chris obeyed, pulling up to the curb next to the officer.

"Hello, kids. Need something?" The police officer asked.

"Our little brother is missing," Chris said, pulling out his cell phone. "We saw him hanging around with this kid before he disappeared," he showed the officer the picture Chrys had sent to him of Rudy riding his bike with Danny on the handlebars.

The officer's eyes widened, then he arched an eyebrow and rubbed his chin. "You know… I think I've seen those kids close by, earlier this morning!"

"Really? Where?" Chrys asked, quickly.

"Follow me. I'll show you where," The officer climbed on to his motorcycle, and the two kids followed him down the street… all the while, he took out his cell phone and called someone… and led the twins down the street, toward the field…

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

Anthony walked down the corridor, watching as his were-cat comrades threw an unconscious monster back in its cell, sneering when he caught a glimpse of silver chains around its throat. _Apparently, Silver is more crafty than I thought… _he thought to himself as he walked, glowering ahead. _Seems like I should have charged Jacque a larger price for my services. _He stepped into his office, where he grabbed his utility belt and strapped it on, then polished his black boots.

"No creature escapes from Anthony Putsenbutes," he said darkly, then grabbed his most prized weapon: his fencing sword. Feeling the tip of it, he turned his eyes over to a wooden chair, then in a blink of an eye, carved the letter 'A' into it. "Hah!"

Ah, yes. His sword was still sharp.

_Time to re-use some old skills, _he thought, then bounded down the corridors and out of the prison, determined to get his-

*Wham!*

"What the bloody… watch where you're going!" A kretin-woman in a warden uniform snapped.

"You watch where you're going, senorita!" Anthony spat, standing up and putting his hat back on.

They both glared at each other. "Look, I'm in the middle of hunting down a werewolf and I'm in no mood for your attitude!" they said in unison, walking away from each other… then paused, turning and arching an eyebrow at each other. "Come again?"

"Um… I'm searching for a werewolf who escaped my prison, goes by the name of Silver." The warden said, first.

Anthony rubbed his chin. "Small world… I'm searching for a werewolf by the same name who escaped MY prison as well." he replied, grinning.

One of the guards, a hydra who was accompanying the warden, rolled his eyes (all of them). "I can see where THIS is going," one of his heads said, and his other heads nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Hmm… Would you happen to be related to Anthony Putsenbutes, by any chance?" The warden asked.

Anthony chuckled. "Not related, but am!" he replied, then took off his hat in a bow. "Anthony Putsenbutes, monster-catcher and professional ogre hunter, at your service,"

The warden grinned. "Well, Mr. Putsenbutes, what say you join us in our search? We could use a creature with your expertise for this job."

"Nailed it," One of the hydra's heads gloated quietly, while he and the rest of the heads rolled their eyes.

"Fine… but my service doesn't come cheap…" Anthony said, rubbing his thumb and index finger together.

"So I've heard…" The warden said, then pulled a sack full of gold coins out, jingling it in front of Anthony. "Would 300 pieces satisfy your wages?"

Anthony rubbed his chin, pretending to consider the offer, then grinned. "300 pieces… AND if you let me keep the head of the werewolf,"

The warden grinned, tossing the bag to Anthony. "Deal."

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

"There they are!" Radio gasped, pointing downward at four figures running through the forest. Flying down, they caught up with Silver (who was carrying a pale Jimmy), Rudy, and Danny.

Radio gasped at the sight of the boys. Danny looked as if he were about to throw up, Rudy's eyes were bloodshot and had red-rims beneath his eyelids, and Jimmy was practically torn to shreds from the waist up, his skin pale and his blackened with bruises. "My goodness, what happened?" she gasped.

"Jacques and Anthony happened, that's what," Silver muttered darkly. "We've got to keep moving- no doubt that cat-creature is hunting us down as we speak!"

"Speaking o' which, Silver, ya'll better find refuge, quick!" Lilly said. "Apparently, Ace 'n' Meds escaped from Pent Towers, and are looking to pick a bone with you and Jimmy right this second!"

Silver rolled his eyes, irritated. "Great, as if things weren't bad enough…"

"We've got to find a place to hide, quickly!" Radio said, looking around frantically. "God only knows what will happen if they all find us…"

"O… Over th-there…" Jimmy choked out, his voice raspy, as he pointed a shaky hand toward a small cave.

Desperate, the small group ran into the cave. The mouth of it was low and the stony-floor slanted downward, forcing them to 'slide' into it and into a circular space. The ground and walls were smooth, though there were stalactites sticking out from the top of the ceiling way above them, though they didn't worry about them. A large precipice was located 35 feet away from them, so they were cautious not to go near it. Little sunlight filtered in through the mouth, giving the cave a dim lighting, which was lucky for them, for they wanted to remain somewhere dark and discrete.

Rudy sat down against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest, and Radio curled up at his hip; Danny sat on the other side of the room, clear away from him, still holding a grudge against him for what he did back at the prison, wishing that he had a smarter friend… or, at least a bottle of mouth-wash; Lilly sat next to the young prince, watching as Silver sat down a few feet down from them, cradling Jimmy in his arms, and her heart warmed at the touching scene… and wished she had a camera.

"It sure is sweet the way Silver and Jimmy care about each other," Lilly said quietly, so that her voice wouldn't echo, addressing Danny. "At first, Jimmy didn't trust him, thinking of Silver as just another monster… But, as time went on, he started to see past that- especially when Silver began protecting him and teaching him how to pick his fights more carefully, and how to keep a clear head while in a brawl."

Danny looked over at Silver and Jimmy, giving a small smile.

"Yep… When we got separated from Silver, I knew for a fact that Jimmy really needed him- even though he tried to hide it. I figured out that Jimmy didn't need Silver to teach him how to fight, or how to defend himself… he needed to learn to trust, to care. He needed a friend… _and_ a role model- a darn-good one at that!"

Danny nodded slightly.

Lilly let out a heavy sigh, resting back on the wall. "Sad on what happened to Jimmy… I guess that's what happens when you don't have someone by your side during a bad situation. Always important to have a good friend when you're in a jam, despite any difficulties you went through."

Danny sighed, turning his head away from Silver and Jimmy, furrowing his eyebrows. His gaze was toward Rudy, but he didn't look at him.

"Especially in a situation like this," Lilly continued. "If I didn't have any friends with me in a pickle like this, I wouldn't know what to do. …I'd probably be dead- er, well, I mean more dead than I am, now. I'd be long gone," She then turned to him. "What about you? Where do you think you would be if Rudy hadn't found you?"

Danny turned his back to her, leaning against the wall and resting his head on his hand. "With my parents," he mumbled.

Lilly nodded, and didn't say anything more.

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

Three hours had past since the group had entered the cave, and the sun had gone down, letting the moon shine a little light into the stony space, giving it a bluish-gray glow. Danny had fallen asleep, and Lilly sat next to him, still awake but keeping her eyes closed. Radio snored softly, still nuzzled up to Rudy, who was wide-awake, lost in his thoughts, still ashamed for what he had done, filled with regret, wishing he hadn't been so stupid… and so on.

Silver was partially awake, still holding Jimmy in his arms, keeping his eyes on the boy as he slept in his arms, breathing smoothly and no longer bleeding. Rudy looked over at the werewolf and, in need for advice, crawled over to him. He would have asked Radio for advice, but he knew the small cat must have been exhausted and needed sleep, and knew Lilly was much too young to hear about what happened, and decided to talk to the only other person he could take his problems to… who still liked him, that is.

"S-Silver?" Rudy asked, his voice just above a whisper. "Can I talk to you?"

"What about?" Silver replied, keeping his voice low as well.

Rudy sat on his knees, twiddling his thumbs. "It's… about Danny… You see, back at the prison, I… did something that he didn't like."

"Oh? What was it?"

Rudy rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "Well… I thought he took a bite out of a poisoned apple, and… tried to wake him up… the 'fairy-tale' style."

Silver arched an eyebrow. "You… kissed him, you mean?"

Rudy bit his bottom lip, but nodded.

Silver shrugged. "Eh. I'd be mad too if some homosexual kissed me while I was unconscious. …He's mad at you, right?"

Rudy looked down, tears rolling down his face. "H-He hates me…"

Silver reached out, careful not to disturb Jimmy's position, and patted Rudy on the back. "Well… if he's mad at you for that, maybe it means something."

Rudy sniffled, looking up at Silver. "Like what?"

"Well… maybe he's not the one for you, and you should try looking for someone else."

"Hey, whoa! What makes you think I like him more than a…" Silver gave him a sarcastic look, and Rudy sighed. "Alright, I did… and… I still do. But… what am I going to do, since he doesn't feel the same way- or, in retrospective, hates me?"

Silver shrugged. "Easy: move on, find someone else. …Maybe even drop the whole 'homosexuality' act and find better results."

Rudy glared, then turned around. "So… you're gonna start on me now, huh?"

"Hey, it's just advice. …You believe in God, right?" Rudy nodded. "And you know about the whole 'Adam and Eve' story, why God created them, right?" Rudy knew where he was going with this, but nodded again anyway. "Well… that's how God created everything. One sex loves the opposite sex, not the same. He created a woman for every man, and a man for every woman, making it to where there's someone out there for everyone to be with."

Rudy sneered, but responded calmly, "But, what if someone wants to be with someone of the same sex? What if they're in love?"

Silver sighed. "That means they WANT to be with the same sex, they're ignoring God's plan for them and making their own steps, rather than waiting for Him to give them someone special. Once they disobey him, bad things tend to happen: their relationship plummets, people become homophobic of them- which is just as bad- and they sometimes go on to lead sad lifestyles."

_Kind of like me, now… _Rudy thought, remembering how the twins would beat him up for being gay, and now Danny didn't want anything to do with him. "So, gay people go through life bearing nothing but trouble, is that it?"

"Well… Some do, I'm sure, but some probably end up happy, too." Rudy just sighed and looked away. "But, listen- and hear me out… What people do in this world is between them and God. All they do against Him is wrong, but He still forgives, and still loves them. He still loves you, even though you're gay, and will still be with you to help you through life. You just have to listen to His word… Who knows? You might find someone who's in love with you."

Rudy looked at him, his eyes still teary. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. Like I said, God has a special someone for everyone, and all you have to do is be patient and you'll find them. I did…" he reached into the back-pocket of his pants, and pulled out a picture of a woman with brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. "She was the one, too. She saw past my monstrous image, and learned to see the man within me." he then looked down sadly.

Rudy crawled over, and looked at the picture. "What happened?"

Silver heaved another sigh. "I let her go…" he put the picture back into his pocket.

Rudy looked at Silver, seeing the sad look on his face, knowing that he had lost the love of his life, and hadn't seen her for Lord knows how long. He then gave the werewolf a small, gentle hug out of sympathy, and Silver arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing. He then let him go, and stood up. "Thank you…" he whispered, then walked back over to Radio and lied down, thinking about what Silver had said. His parents had given him a similar discussion when he told them he was gay, only they responded shocked… and embarrassed… and pressured him into thinking twice. Silver, on the other hand, just told him the situation was between him and God, and that our Heavenly Father still loved him, but was displeased for his act. He then remembered what Silver said earlier, about Danny rejecting him being a message, and wondered…was God telling him something? He fell asleep, thinking about it all.

Silver watched Rudy fall asleep, then shut his eyes to get a bit of sleep himself, until- once again- a small voice kept him from doing so.

"Silver? …"

He looked down, seeing that Jimmy was barely awake. "What is it?"

Jimmy didn't respond, but kept looking upward, his eyes staring off into space. "What was my mom like, when you met her?"

Silver heaved a sigh, reminiscing about the first time he saw Jimmy's mom. "She was beautiful… The most beautiful girl I had seen in my entire life… Gorgeous brown eyes, silky-smooth brown hair, and her hands always had a soft, gentle touch. She was 18 when I met her, and I was about to turn 21 when her father came to my house, looking for a place to stay for the night since he got lost in the woods." He let out a remorseful sigh. "Back then, I had anger-management issues, and didn't take too kindly to letting him stay…"

"Did you… lock him… in a dungeon… like in that… lame Disney flick?"

"No… I pounded him on the head until he fell unconscious, THEN locked him away. …They didn't do THAT in the movie, did they now?" Jimmy slightly shook his head. "Didn't think so. Anyway, your mom came looking for your grandfather a couple days later, along with your aunts. All three of them shrieked at the sight of me… but your mother was the only one who showed her courage, trying to bargain with me. Finally (like the movie, I guess) she offered to take her father's place as my prisoner, and I let her sisters and your grandfather go."

"I had… aunts?"

"Yeah… I don't know what happened to them, though. I think they moved to another city or something. …Anyway, your mother hated me for days- didn't speak to me, didn't look at me (secretly, I couldn't blame her), and refused to have anything to do with me. Then, something happened…"

"What?"

"Some psycho broke into my place, looking for a refuge so he could hide from the cops. And, as if fate would have it, your mother happened to run into him, AND (since he was a dumbassed criminal) he knocked her out and dragged her into the nearest room, and… well, I shouldn't tell you this next part…"

"Raped her?"

Silver looked at Jimmy, a bit surprised, but nodded. "(So much for putting it delicately) But yes, he TRIED to rape her… But, he made one tiny mistake: trying to rape her in MY ROOM." Jimmy's eyes widened a bit, and he cracked a small smile. "Yep. That bastard got the ass-kicking of a lifetime right then and there, and I threw him out the window… which was pretty much fatal since we were 4 stories high. I then walked over to your mother, and covered her with a blanket, sitting by her side until she came to. Once she regained consciousness, I told her I took care of the asshole who tried to rape her, and… I guess she eased down her grudge on me after that. She started talking to me a bit more each day, and in about a week we became good friends… almost more."

Jimmy nodded. "What happened?"

Silver sighed. "After about a month or so, she began to miss her family, so I decided to let her go see them, promising she would come back."

"…Did she?"

Silver sighed. "Yeah… but apparently, her ex-boyfriend had followed her. She told me, after she came back, that he had grown obsessed with her- especially when he found out about me… And, frankly, he became jealous and decided to trace her back to my home." He looked down sadly. "During that time… my servants decided to throw a 'welcome back' party for her- they really loved your mom- and…" he became hesitant, then let out a heavy sigh. "He showed up later, and brought a mob with him. They crashed the party, my servants were killed, your mother was taken away, and I was sent to Pent Towers for 'rape and slaughter'… Okay, the 'slaughter' part was true, since the mob pissed me off for killing my closest friends, but the rape… That wasn't true."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow. "Where… did they get… the idea… about the rape?"

"Like I said, they made it up- people are jerks like that."

Jimmy nodded once and shut his eyes. "Too bad… the movie… didn't end the… same way."

Silver scoffed. "I doubt Disney would be dumb enough to make a movie like THAT."

"Mm-hm…" Jimmy breathed heavily, resting his head on Silver's chest, wrapping his arm around him. "Silver…?"

"Yeah?"

Once again, Jimmy paused, the sound of his breathing filling the silence. "Did you… love her?"

This time, Silver was hesitant to respond, and let out a large, heavy sigh. "Yeah… I did."

Jimmy nodded once more, then said nothing else, breathing softly and giving Silver the hint that he had fallen asleep. Silver wrapped his arm around him and used his other arm as a head-rest, finally drifting asleep.

**~0~0~0~0~0~**

A/N: I felt like adding a bit of fluff in this chapter… along with a bit of suspense at the beginning ;D As always, please click the little button that says 'review' and tell me what you think, but don't send any flames unless you have the sudden urge to be thrown off a cliff. Thank yous!


	23. Chapter 23: Of Forgiveness and Fluff

New chapter, anyone?

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: I honestly never noticed that about Anthony until now. I'm still waiting for your next guess!

Starspring: And your guess is correct. There IS going to be a lot of drama and suspense coming up! And I'm glad you thought it was cute ^-^

None: Out of the rest of the reviews I have received, yours really made my day =) I've never seen the 'Sister's Grimm' before, but your guess is right about me twisting the Disney-versions of the fairy-tales. And I'm glad you like Jimmy and Silver so much. Thank you so much for your review, and now here's a new chapter for you to enjoy.

Koreseason: Despite what you thought of the last chapter, I'm glad you still like this story.

**X0X0X0X0X**

Danny woke up in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep, and couldn't figure out the reason why. He hadn't had any weird dreams, he was exhausted from running all day, and he hadn't been thinking about the villains who were still after them… so why couldn't he shut his eyes and continue his slumber? Sighing, he stood up, beginning to pace around the cave, watching his steps so not to fall into the precipice, thinking a little exercise would help him fall asleep. As he paced, he looked over at everyone else: Silver, who held Jimmy in his arms as they both slept. _Why Jimmy refuses to admit he cares about Silver, I'll never know, _he thought, smiling and shaking his head; Lilly, who sat against the wall, keeping her eyes closed even though she wasn't actually asleep. _Such a sweet girl… Hopefully she'll get into Heaven, like she deserves,_; Radio, who was curled up in a ball, snoring softly. _Radio has been such a great help, and really cares about us… a fat more helpful than Izzy could ever be_; Then Rudy…

Danny paused, looking at the blonde-haired boy, his smile dropping and his gaze turning into a glare. He was still angry at Rudy for what he done… _What if those 'rumors' his brother and sister told are actually true? _he finally found himself thinking as he stared at the boy.

_How can you think such a thing? _A new thought snapped inside his head. _After all he's DONE for you- taking you in, trying to HELP you, getting you out of that party after you allowed yourself to get drunk… You had ABANDONED him at that party, while HE stuck by YOUR SIDE through this whole nightmare! For the love of- you even SAVED his LIFE! Now you're just turning against him for some stupid kiss?_

Danny continued to pace, thinking about it all. Rudy HAD helped him, along with Radio, and he remembered how much the boy seemed to care about him… whether it was because he loved him or not. _But… he kept a secret from me…_

_SO? You shouldn't let ONE LITTLE THING ruin the only friendship you have now! Get OVER it already!_

Danny sighed, standing in the middle of the cave and looking upward through the opening at the full moon, closing his eyes and looking down sadly. He thought about how one minute he and Rudy had saved each others' lives, and how the next minute he couldn't stand him anymore, all because his friend thought he had been poisoned by an apple and tried to kiss him, hoping to wake him up. _Funny… it's almost like how I gave him CPR after saving him from drowning- only, it wasn't a real 'kiss', and the poison-apple kiss was supposed to come from a 'true love'… _He looked at Rudy, curiously. _Could it be that he really does love me?_

_Why not? _came a new thought. _You're the only friend- besides Radio- that he's ever made, and you saved his life of course… and you PROMISED that you would never leave his side again._

That much was true… and he realized he wasn't going to break that promise anytime soon. _After all, it was just a kiss, and he was only trying to help… _He walked over to Rudy, who was fast asleep, and sat down beside him, then began to shake his shoulder. "Rudy?" he whispered.

'_Cause I miss your body and soul so strong_

_That it takes my breath away_

"Um-hmm…" Rudy mumbled, turning on his side and curling up into a ball. His expression seemed tense, as Danny shook him once more. "No, Chris… not the belt… anything but that… zzz…" he then flinched in his sleep.

_He must be dreaming about those awful siblings of his. _Danny realized, then shook him harder. "Rudy, wake up. You're dreaming!" he whispered.

"…Please…" Rudy cringed, and tears began to squeeze through his shut eyelids.

_And I breathe you, into my heart_

_And pray for the strength to stand today_

"C'mon, wake up," Danny whispered again, shaking him once more. "I have to tell you something…"

"No…" Rudy mumbled in his sleep once more, rolling onto his other side so that his back faced Danny. "…Leave…" he then began to sob in his sleep.

'_Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right,_

"Leave Danny 'lone… Please… I lovim…"

_And though I can't be with you tonight_

Danny let out a silent gasp, then leaned over and, ever so quietly, whispered in his ear. "Do you… really mean that?"

"Yea… I know its wrong… but he's my friend… lettus go…" Rudy mumbled in reply, flinching in his sleep again.

_And though my heart is by your side_

Danny didn't know what to say, and felt something sliding down his cheek, then realized it was a tear. _Why am I crying? Do I really care that much about some boy loving me? _he wondered, then looked down at Rudy, who continued to flinch in his sleep. Suddenly, all the anger he had felt earlier that day seemed to fade, and he scooted closer to his friend and- grabbing him by the shoulders and sitting him upright- wrapped his arm around him in comfort. _Yes… I do._

**X0X0X0X0X**

The nightmare began as soon as Rudy shut his eyes.

He was back in his room, hearing voices from outside his bedroom door, and he quickly ran over and opened it just a crack to see who- or what- was out there… But the door blew open by itself and some sort of invisible force began pulling him out into the hallway, and he screamed and tried to pull himself back, grabbing onto his bedpost and fighting with resistance, but the force was too strong and yanked him out of the safety of his room…

…And into the stony hallway of Anthony's prison. His eyes widened in horror at what was going on around him: Izzy was strangling Radio, who kept clawing at her face; Lilly was running from some blue-skinned creature in a police uniform; Jimmy and Silver were in a brawl with a giant lizard-like creature and a man with snakes coming out of his head; and he turned around to see that Roscoe, Anthony, and Jacques were running straight at him!

"H-Help!" Rudy cried out, running for his life. Suddenly, the entire scene- literately- began to melt away before his eyes, and a hole appeared beneath his feet and he began to fall through infinite blackness, passing broken chains, bitten apples, burning dollhouses, and strange black symbols…

…Almost like that scene from "Alice in Wonderland", only creepy.

He then landed on the ground, sitting in a single spotlight surrounded by darkness. He then heard cackling, and saw Chris and Chrys step out of the blackness, holding a leather belt and a steel spatula. "Ready for some fun, _fag_?" they asked in unison, their voices having a deep, creepy pitch.

"N-No…" Rudy gasped, trying to back away but remained frozen in place. Chris stepped forward, bending his belt into a loop and chuckling evilly. "No, Chris! Not the belt! Anything but that-" But Chris smacked him across the face with his belt, leaving a red mark on his cheek, then raised it to smack him again. "Please…" Another smack, and he began to wince.

"And we have a little treat for you…" Chrys said, speaking as if she had two voices, like in his last nightmare. She pointed with the spatula, and Rudy looked over…

…Seeing to his horror that Danny was gagged and chained against a wall, a line of blood trickling down from his forehead, and his body appeared limp but he was still hardly breathing. The twins cackled, stepping toward the prince. "Lets see how your boyfriend handles our game…" Chris said, speaking with two voices as well.

"No!" Rudy screamed, then ran over and stepped between the twins and Danny, tears falling from his eyes now. "Leave- Leave Danny alone!" He backed away and hugged the prince's abdomen, staining his shirt with tears. "Please…"

"Oh? Why not?" Chrys scoffed. "He hates you."

"Yeah… now that he knows you're _gay_…" Chris taunted.

"I love him," Rudy sobbed, hugging Danny tighter, and the twins looked at him, stunned.

"Do you really mean that?" the twins asked in unison, their voices no longer creepy.

Rudy nodded, burying his face into Danny's stomach. "Yeah… I know it's wrong, but he's my friend," he let out a sniffle, continuing to cry. "Please… let us go…"

Suddenly, the twins disappeared, and the blackness turned to white, and Danny was no longer chained to the wall and gagged, and there was no longer any blood on his face… and he was awake, floating onto the floor next to Danny, keeping an arm around him.

When Rudy awoke, he noticed that he was in the same position: in Danny's arms. He gasped and tried to pull away, but the young prince held him close.

_I don't wanna run away, but I can't take it, I don't understand,_

"Don't worry, I'm here," Danny whispered, keeping his arms around Rudy. "And those devil-twins are nowhere in sight."

Rudy sniffled, still tense. "D-Danny… I'm sorry…" he whispered, beginning to sob. "You're right. I should have thought before… oh, man…"

"It's okay, Rudy… I forgive you." Danny placed his finger under his chin and lifted it upwards, so that they made eye-contact. "That's what friends do, right? They forgive each other,"

_Friends… _Rudy was relieved to hear that word, and relaxed a bit, resting his head on his chest. "I should have told you… about my… um, 'secret'." he shut his eyes tight, squeezing out a couple more tears. "But… I was so scared that you wouldn't like me anymore,"

_If I'm not made for you, then why does my heart tell me that I am?_

"But I would!" Danny gasped. "I told you before, Rudy… Unlike the kids at your school, I didn't listen to any rumors your siblings made up about you, but I actually hung out with you and got to know who you really are deep inside! You're a caring boy and you saved my life, and stuck by me no matter what stupid things I did."

Rudy let out a heavy sigh. "But… if I had told you… you wouldn't have gotten so mad when I…" he started to say in a sob.

"I don't know HOW I would have reacted if I've known during that time. …I was just shocked, that's all. …And, it wasn't _that _different from me giving you CPR…"

"Yeah… except you actually _knew_ what was wrong with me before you kissed me,"

Danny scoffed. "For the last time, it wasn't a- oh, forget it,"

Rudy let out a small chuckle. "You know… I guess it almost makes us even. We both became unconscious, and both woke each other up by using our lips,"

Danny snickered. "Yeah, I guess that IS pretty funny,"

Rudy sighed, snuggling closer to his friend. "I'm just happy you forgave me for my action…" _I guess some people still follow God's example, thankfully. _he thought, remembering his conversation with Silver.

"I'm just thankful I met you and Radio," The two boys looked over at Radio, who was now lying on her back, snoring softly, her tail twitching left and right.

"Yeah… She's been a big help." Rudy let out a yawn. "After this, we need to find a way to repay her…"

"Definitely…"

The two boys shut their eyes, and Rudy wrapped his arms around Danny's torso, keeping his head rested on the prince's chest as he fell asleep. Danny didn't mind and kept his arm wrapped around his friend's shoulders dozing off.

_Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_

Unbeknownst to them, Radio smiled in her sleep, and she let out a happy sigh and began to purr.

**X0X0X0X0X**

A/N: Just thought I'd add some extra fluff into the story. If some of you think that Danny forgave Rudy too easily, well tough luck because that's the kind of kid he is- If he were Jimmy, then it would be a different story. Anyway, please review, don't flame, blah blah blah…


	24. Chapter 24: A View of the Antagonists

Sorry for taking so long. Between work and finding a life, I sorta procrastinated from writing the next chapter. So, just so you know, NO I'm not dead- here's the next chapter to prove it!

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: I figured you'd like the fluff and forgiveness ;) But, in reality a lot of people tend to hold a grudge against one another for a longer period… Luckily this story isn't part of reality! :D As for the other voice… no. It wasn't Jiminy Cricket :p lol

Fangface the second: Thank you, and good luck with the homework, and hopefully 'ink death' will inspire something for your story!

Koreseason: Thank you. I also re-read the chapter, and realized I could have written it better, but thank you for understanding what I meant by it. And, you are correct: Rudy is based off Cinderella and Danny is based off Snow White.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jacque stood before the magic mirror once more, grinning devilishly. "Mirror, mirror, made of glass… am I rid of that brat at last?" he asked it, figuring that- with the help of that cat-creature- there was NO WAY that Danny could have lived!

Boy, was HE wrong!

His reflection shimmered, and the mirror showed an image of Danny and Rudy, asleep in each other's arms… and very much alive. "What the… HOW DID THEY SURVIVE _**THIS**_ TIME?"

In order to answer his question, the image shimmered, showing that large werewolf holding that third boy in his arms, also asleep. _Damn it! That dumb werewolf is ruining everything! …And I thought Anthony was going to kill him! _he thought angrily.

"Show me Anthony Putsenbutes-a,"

The mirror shimmered, showing Anthony prowling through the woods, accompanied by a small group of other strange creatures wearing uniforms, ahead of them was a blue, muscular, blonde-haired creature. _At last they're searching… at least they'd BETTER be! _he thought.

"Let me guess… They escaped," A voice said behind him.

Jacque clenched his fists. "Not NOW, Isabella!" he replied through gritted teeth. "I'm busy…"

"…Busy watching as that prince and his pals ease back after escaping your clutches, AGAIN? C'mon, Jacques, let ME take care of them!"

Jacques turned and faced Izzy. "I told you to take care of them once Anthony captured Silver! But, no, you hesitated and I had to have my men take care of ze job!"

"I _would have _done it too… but they had a ghost-girl with them, and it's not very easy to kill something that's already dead, you know." She approached the mirror, which shimmered, showing Jacques reflection, but not hers (since she's a vampire and all). "Besides, you've already got the kingdom, and Danny's as far away from it as can be… why don't you just carry on?"

"Have you forgotten that they plan on going to the POLICE, and reporting ze murder of his PARENTS?"

Izzy scoffed. "Dude, if the cops in that goody-two-shoes of a town didn't believe them, what makes you think a bunch of cops in the slums are going to? …Plus, you can always pin the crime on someone else."

"Like _you_?"

"Ha! What would you tell them? 'Hello, officers. A vampire burned down a castle after killing a king and queen'? Don't make me laugh!"

"Well, who am I going to blame it on?"

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Here's a suggestion- Danny."

"What?"

"Sure, it's simple- Danny ran away AFTER the fire, right? And, he IS the prince, and next in line for the throne, right? The story practically fits together: The young prince couldn't wait to rule the land and was tired of having to live by his parents rule, so he decides to burn the place to the ground and kill his parents, making it all seem like a madman (you) did it, and runs away to tell the cops, making up some pity story so they'll fall for it! That way, some patsy gets the blame, while he collects insurance money from his burned down kingdom, re-decorates it to fit his style, and rule with an iron fist! …It's like 'Hamlet', only the plot is more twisted and the prince is the bad guy."

"Hmm… That IS a good plan, but there's one problem: Where the hell-a are we going to find ze evidence to fit that kind of story?"

Izzy grinned. "Easy… his older sister, who managed to survive the fire, escaped."

"Sister? That little brat doesn't have a-" Izzy arched an eyebrow, and the mastermind got the hint. "Oh… Ah, Isabella, you are a genius-a!"

Izzy rolled her eyes. "I know."

"I shall have my men prepare a ravishing outfit for you, then singe it to make it look like it's been burned. YOU go roll around in some soot so you look like you've been close to flames!" he then took out a cell phone, calling a number, then made the disguise-order in French.

_I didn't know he knew the number to, 'Sassy Boutiques 'R' Us', _Izzy thought, then began walking down the corridor, down to the first-floor of the burned-up castle where most of the soot was, then began rolling around in it…

…Then left the castle, deciding _not_ to put on her 'royally burned' disguise.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Are you SURE this is their trail?" The warden questioned as she, her guards, and Anthony made their trek through the muddy forest, zigzagging around trees, climbing over logs and boulders, and trudging through thick, thorny bushes.

"Positive… The fools obviously tried to evade us by rushing through as many obstacles as they could." Anthony replied. "It's a basic trick many fugitives use to avoid capture… but none of them were clever enough to outwit me." he paused and motioned the others to stop after they came to a large cave, and the were-cat grinned. "And, something tells me they're right… in… HERE!" He let out a roar and leaped in, and the others followed him in…

…then ran out later, avoiding being mauled by an angered dragon. "S-Sorry, ma'am! Just thought you were someone else!"

Anthony ran out last, his tail on fire. "Ack! Dios dulce, ayúdame! Estoy en llamas!"

The warden turned to one of her officers, a sea-creature. "Richards? If you'd please,"

"Yes ma'am," The sea-creature said, then began to gurgle… then spewed water on Anthony, putting out the flame on his tail.

The warden stepped up to the drenched cat-creature, glowering. "This time, we track them MY way." She then turned away, walking down a new path followed by her guards.

"Perra," Anthony muttered bitterly, shaking himself dry.

"I speak Spanish, you know!" Anthony just sneered and followed her.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Here we are, kids," The police officer said, parking his motorcycle near the river. "This is where we saw your little brother and that other kid, last."

Chris and Chrys parked their car and climbed out, looking around. "Where are they?" Chrys asked.

"Maybe that kid drowned him in the river, already," Chris guessed, and Chrys gave him a death-glare.

The police officer looked across the river. "Hey… I think I see someone over there!" he said, pointing ahead.

The twins ran over, eagerly looking across the river, straining their eyes. "I don't see any-"

*WHACK!*

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jacque's cell phone rang. "'Ello?" he answered.

"Sir, I've captured the twins," A voice answered on the other line.

"Ah, excellent, Andre! …Now, dispose of them, quick, so they do not go to ze REAL police!"

"Um… funny thing, sir… They think Daniel is a killer, and kidnapped their little brother!"

"Brother?"

"Yeah, that blonde-haired kid."

"Sacre bleu! That was a BOY?"

"I'm shocked as well, sir."

"Never mind. …Hmm, actually, this is quite good. If those twins think that ze young prince is a criminal, then we will have 'witnesses' for my new plan! Quick, bring them to ze castle immediately!"

"Okay… but, um, we have a problem…"

"What? …Wait a minute… Andre? Jou didn't knock them out, DID you?"

"Heh heh… yeah, sort of…"

"Andre, you idiot! I told you not to DO that unless they know too much-a!"

"I THOUGHT they knew too much!"

"Well, next time, think again! (sigh) Just bring them over. I'll think up a cover-story!" He then hung up the phone, sighing irritatedly and shaking his head. "Note to self: fire ze idiots."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

A/N: Don't worry, guys. We'll get back to the important characters later, I promise!

In the meantime, please review. But unless you want to end up like Anthony or the twins, I'd suggest you NOT send flames.


	25. Chapter 25: Return of the Suspense!

Okay, back to our important characters! :D

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: Thank you, and yes reality IS sad… if you don't have imagination to cancel it out! =D

Fangface the second: Lol the twins didn't necessarily get 'arrested'… but I agree with you. They DO deserve it!

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jimmy was the first to wake up that morning. It was early, possibly 3 or 4 AM and still dark out, making him question whether it was even morning yet or still night. He began to sit up, feeling his body ache, and he felt dizzy, possibly from a large amount of blood-loss, so he leaned to the side and rested his head on Silver's chest. That's when he realized he was on the werewolf's lap and gave a short gasp, pulling himself off of him (despite his pain) and sat down on the stone floor. _What the heck was I DOING last night? _he thought, trying to remember.

He thought back to yesterday. He remembered being captured by that bastard Jacque, and pissing off Anthony and getting in a fight with him (stealing a set of keys off him as he did), then he found Silver and they argued about saving the others or letting him rest after his fight. Everything was blurry after that, and when he came to he saw Rudy kissing Danny (he couldn't help but chuckle at that part), then they jumped out a window and escaped. Silver had been carrying him, since the boy was still too beaten up to run (though, to save face, he decided the werewolf didn't want him slowing them down and getting caught), and then they found the cave and he began to doze off, waking a bit when he heard Silver and Rudy talking, though he didn't make out much of their conversation. There was something else…

Oh yeah, his mother. He had asked Silver about her (figuring his blood-loss had made him delusional) and the werewolf told him the story, which sounded like a rip-off of that Disney flick, except for the parts about that crazy serial killer and the mob separating them, then making up some story that she had been held hostage and raped… _Why the heck would they make up the 'rape' part? _Jimmy pondered. He thought about Silver's remark: 'people are jerks like that'. He wanted to believe him, but deep down inside he knew there HAD to be a different reason- no one would just say that unless his mother was in a raped position…

A sickening, gut-wrenching, perverse thought came to his mind and he suddenly froze. _What… what if S-Silver and my mom… actually… _he began to think, but couldn't even complete the horrific thought without choking back a gag. He took a deep breath and shook his head. _Don't be sick! Just 'cause Mom 'may have' decided to stay with the furball, doesn't mean she'd actually… ugh, do THAT. Silver's right- that mob was probably made up of the most sick-minded perves known to…_

He heard a yawn, and watched as Silver lied down on his stomach, not noticing that Jimmy wasn't in his lap anymore… and there was something sticking out of his back-pocket. Curiosity once again struck Jimmy, like it had back in his cell at Pent Towers, and he crawled over and reached for the piece of paper. Silver let out a small snore, startling him and making him pull his hand back, but once he was sure the werewolf was still asleep, he quickly reached out and snatched the paper out of his pocket (being a pick-pocket nearly his entire life, it was no sweat). He gave a glance at Silver, making sure his action hadn't stirred the creature, then looked at the paper… his eyes widening when he saw it was a picture of his mom- pregnant! _What's this picture doing in Silver's back-pocket? _he thought, arching an eyebrow. He noticed it was folded in half, and unfolded it, seeing that the picture was part of a newspaper article…

"_September 13__th__- Ashley Krook, the woman who had been kidnapped and held hostage by a vicious monster last winter, unsuspectingly turns out to be pregnant and had been hiding her secret for the past seven months. Reporters had asked if she was pregnant with the monster's child, after hearing the tale of her being raped. She claims that she begat the child herself, though doctors had her undergo a DNA test to make sure…."_

The article ended there.

Jimmy's hands were shaking, and the paper fell from his hands. He thought back to the last newspaper articles- his mom publishing a book a year after, his grandfather inventing a cure for pet allergies the same year, that hunter Rupert barging in on them the year before… saying she was raped… He covered his mouth, trying to keep himself from throwing up. _No, mom would never do that! SILVER wouldn't do that! Rupert just… _he began to think, but froze.

Rupert. That was the name of his step-dad AND the hunter! What if… they were the same?

Jimmy wished he hadn't thought that, for now several ideas invaded his mind: Rupert was in love with his mom, but after he found out about Silver, he followed her with a mob… and while the rest of the mob were attacking Silver and his servants, he dragged her into a room and… and…

"BLAAAURGH!"

He ran over to the precipice and threw up into the pit, the thought still residing in his head: He possibly drugged her so she wouldn't remember a thing, then left her exposed in the room, then told the villagers that she had been raped by the monster- but the monster wasn't Silver. He threw up again, then looked down into the infinite pit, thinking about seeing just how far the fall was- hopefully far enough to kill himself. _Don't think that! _he thought. _So you're the unholy offspring of your evil step-dad, that doesn't mean… well, actually, it's not a bad idea. _A new question entered his mind then: if Rupert was responsible for getting Silver sent away and… doing something repulsive to his mom… why did she marry him?

A gust of wind blew into the cave, making the paper fly by him. He caught it, realizing there was a back-part of it- and it was the same article! His hands were still shaky, but he kept a firm grip and continued to read…

"_Ashley refused to allow them to run tests on the embryo, not wanting to lose the baby. Doctors recommended they should wait until the baby is born to prevent any damage done to it, but by that time Ashley had moved out of state, leaving the mystery unsolved."_

Jimmy let out a breath, turning the paper over and looking at the picture of his mom. _She didn't want to lose me… _he thought, wincing. He stared at her, caressing her pregnant stomach with his thumb, biting his bottom lip. _If I kill myself… it would just put her efforts in vain. _He folded the picture up again, then crawled back over to Silver.

Suddenly, anger began to boil inside of him, realizing that the werewolf knew all these things about his mother but hadn't told him! Okay, so he tried to tell him back at Pent Towers, when he refused to listen to him, but rather than saying, "Oh yeah? I have proof!" he kept it all hidden under his blanket… hiding it all from _him_! He clenched his fists so tight that he crumpled the paper, then threw it to the ground and stormed toward the mouth of the cave, climbing out back into the forest, seeing that it was getting close to dawn. He then started to run.

"Jimmy! Where are you going?" A voice called from behind him, and he noticed that Lilly was following him, no doubt seeing the teenager climb out of the cave.

"As far away from Silver as I can get!" Jimmy snapped, still in a sprint.

"Why? What's wrong? …Please, tell me!"

"EVERYTHING!"

_Huh, boy… he's lost his marbles! _Lilly thought, then flew back to the cave. _I'd better wake the others, before he- _"WHOA!" A large shadow bounded out of the cave, passing her.

Jimmy continued to run, but in his beat-up condition, he couldn't go on. He had lost too much blood, and his body ached, but he kept going as far as he could… which wasn't very far since his legs gave out. Sucking in gulps of air, he leaned against a boulder, thoughts still racing around in his head. Why did Silver and his mother keep so many secrets from him? Why did his mom hook up with that ass-wipe, Rupert, after what he did? …Who was his father? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes, and he grabbed a heavy stick, slowly standing back up.

Something then popped out of the bushes. "Hey, Ji-"

*WHACK!*

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Silver had heard someone puking, and groggily stood up… seeing Jimmy by the precipice, spilling his guts. A gust of wind blew into the cave, and the werewolf noticed a piece of paper float over to the boy, and seconds later he began crawling over to him… but stopped, clenching his fists and dropping the paper, then climbing out of the cave. "Jimmy?" Silver tried to call, but his voice came out quiet. He stood up, watching as Lilly went after Jimmy, and began running toward the mouth of the cave… until he stepped on the paper. Picking it up and studying it, he let out a short gasp, realizing it was the picture he kept in his back pocket. "Oh, _shit_!"

Without hesitation, he bounded out of the cave, running through Lilly and after Jimmy, watching as the boy stumbled with each step, but kept going. _Tough kid… _he thought. _But he'd better get his brain in gear and stop before he passes out… ooh, too late. _He watched as Jimmy fell to his knees, then leaned against a rock. Silver decided to take this opportunity and try to talk to him… only to end up getting hit in the head with a stick.

Silver stepped out of the bushes, rubbing his head. "Ow! What the HECK was THAT for?"

"Oh, Silver…" Jimmy said, sighing with relief. "It's just you." He then raised the stick and hit him again.

*WHAP!*

"Ouch! Cut that out!" Silver snapped, grabbing the stick out of Jimmy's hands. "Damn, what is WRONG with you? Did all the blood flow out of your brain, or something?"

"No… it flooded BACK." Jimmy said, coldly… okay, so it wasn't the BEST comeback he had, but it was the only one he had that could lead to his next statement. "Tell me about my mom- and tell the TRUTH!"

"I DID tell you the truth-"

"Not the whole story, about her getting pregnant! Why did you leave THAT part out?"

"I… I didn't know she was pregnant until later, when I read a newspaper article about her…"

"You mean the one you kept in your back pocket… along with all the other ones you hid under your blanket?"

"Ooh, jeepers, here it goes…" Both of them heard Lilly gasp, figuring she had followed them both, but they didn't pay any attention to her.

Silver glowered at Jimmy. "So… you got into my stuff, huh?" he said, calmly but coldly. His tone caused Lilly to shiver, though Jimmy remained unnerved, sneering at the werewolf.

"Yeah… I know all about it now," Jimmy replied, in a calm-yet-cold manner just like Silver. "You know who it is, don't you?"

"What are you talking about, you little snoop?"

"Like you don't know, you over-grown bitch! Who raped my mom?"

Silver looked at him, stunned. "What? No one! I told you, they ju-"

"Made it up, yeah I know. Sure. …Was it Rupert who made it up? Did HE make it all up to make you look like the bad guy?" Silver was about to speak, but Jimmy continued. "Or, did he HAPPEN to catch YOU in the act?"

Now, Silver was pissed. "You honestly think… Ooh, you're a sick son of a bitch…"

"So… you admit YOU'RE my dad?"

Silver clenched his fists, baring his fangs. Jimmy had gone TOO FAR this time, and now… now he was IN for it! But, before Silver could do anything, they heard chuckling, and turned to see a couple all-too-familiar faces emerge from the bushes. "He DID say he was your 'daddy', you little punk-ass." Ace said.

"Not these shit-heads again," Silver scoffed under his breath.

"Enough chat. It's time we finally put the ass-whooping on y-" Meds began to say, walking toward them cracking his knuckles… until he tripped.

"Back off, you possum-faced creeps!" Lilly snapped, appearing in front of the criminals, holding a heavy stick and smacking Ace in the face with it.

*THWACK!*

Ace hissed in pain, and his eyes began to glow yellow. "You guysss are ssstarting to pisssss me off!" he snarled, transforming into his monstrous lizard-form, while Meds glowered at them as snakes appeared out of his head.

"I'll hold 'em off. You two run!" Silver told Lilly and Jimmy. The boy began to protest, but Lilly grabbed him by the hand and- turning them both invisible- ran off, leaving Silver to handle the gorgon and lizard-creature.

"You know, don't you?" Jimmy asked Lilly as they ran.

"Buddy, all I know is that we're gonna be dead meat if we don't get the others and get outta here!" Lilly replied. "Now, pipe down and run!"

They ran back to the cave… stopping dead in their tracks when they saw Izzy standing in front of it. Lilly let go of Jimmy, making him reappear and fall to his knees, and the vampire turned and smiled at them. "Ah, there you are," she said in greeting.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Danny, Rudy, and Radio were awakened by Lilly. "Guys, wake up!" she said, shaking them.

"Huh? …What's going on?" Danny asked, groggily.

"Jimmy's run off! Get up, we've got to help Silver catch him, before he gets into trouble!" With that, she flew out of the cave.

"Oh… joy." Radio scoffed, standing up and stretching.

Danny and Rudy stood up and climbed out of the cave, followed by Radio. "It never fails… Before sunrise trouble always drops in," Rudy muttered as they stepped out.

Suddenly, a figure dropped down in front of them, and they gasped (though, Rudy screamed a little) when they saw it was Izzy. "Oh… thank God, you're alive!" she gasped, tears rolling down her eyes. "I was so worried that Anthony- AUGH!"

Radio had ran up and clawed her face, leaving four bloody-red lines on her right cheek. "Cut the crap, Isabella!" she snapped. "Where's Jacque? Did he follow you?"

"And don't lie, or else!" Rudy added… then bit his bottom lip at possibly the lamest, most cliché threat known to man.

Izzy glowered at them. "FYI, I _escaped _from Jacque! I flew the coop while he had his back turned. The asshole probably thinks I'm still locked away in the dungeon." she lied.

Danny sneered. "Yeah right… and I suppose you thought we'd let you betray us again, if you came back to us?" he snapped.

"After I told you what happened, I hoped so!" Izzy stood up, showing off the soot on her body, and showing that her clothes were torn (though, she tore them herself. "Jacques promised my that if I helped him out, he would make sure Silver's curse would never be broken and that I could remain a vampire. It was a sweet deal… until I found out that the bastard was planning on killing you guys. I tried to stop them, but the rest of his men had me outnumbered, and jabbed a needle into my arm, injecting me with morphine, making me go numb. By the time I got some feeling back, they had already thrown me into the boiler room and try to burn be alive! Jacque promised to spare my life if I didn't try to betray him, so I took _that_ deal too, and to make sure I wouldn't try to kill him once they let me out, his guards grabbed me and put THIS on my wrist…" she ripped off her left wrist-band, showing a small metal bracelet with a blinking light on it. "He put a shock-bracelet on me. Unless I followed his orders, he'd kill me by electrocution."

They would have believed her… but Radio knew otherwise. "You're lying." she said, walking up and wiping soot off her leg, sniffing it. "It doesn't SMELL like burned flesh. More like cedar and pine." she looked at the bracelet, then at Izzy. "Though, I believe HALF of your tale is true."

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Okay, so the whole 'burning me alive' bit was just for dramatic affect- hey, I had to get your guys' attention SOMEHOW, didn't I?" They heard the sound of leaves being stepped on, and turned to see Jimmy and Lilly arrive. "Ah, there you are,"

"Izzy! You're okay!" Lilly exclaimed, and was about to run over to her until Jimmy stepped in front of her.

"Hold up, Lilly… It might be a trap," Jimmy said, darkly glaring at Izzy. "What are YOU doing back, traitor?"

"And… why do you look all burned?" Lilly cringed, and Jimmy knew the reason- the ghost-girl had a bad experience with fire… which is how she became a ghost.

Izzy shrugged. "Eh, just dramatic affect, Lil." she replied, then sneered at Jimmy. "And I ESCAPED… Or did you miss the story I told five seconds, ago?"

"Just tell us the truth," Danny scoffed. "How did Jacque REALLY get that bracelet on you?"

Izzy sighed. "A long time ago, my parents and I lived with Silver, at the time we were all cursed as monsters. A mob of hunters invaded our home and slaughtered them, while Silver was taken to Pent Towers- a jail for monsters- by recommendation. I was an infant at the time and managed to escape… unfortunately, I escaped right into Jacque's hands. He decided to take me in, use my vampire-skills for his own use, blah blah blah… Fourteen years later, he gets the idea that I could out-fight him- which I totally can- and slapped his shock-wave device on me. Anyway, enough about me. The son of a bitch is planning on pinning Danny's parents' death on him, and- if he catches up to me- plans on making me pose as his sister to go along with the plan."

"What?" Danny, Rudy, and Radio snapped.

"I know… I helped him think up the plan-"

"_WHAT_?"

"-but I didn't tell him the one little detail that could make the whole thing blow up in his face."

"What would THAT be?" Jimmy scoffed.

She smirked. "Me denying I'm Danny's sister, and helping you guys bust him first."

"Why should we trust YOU again?" Radio sneered.

She shrugged. "I'm not asking for your trust. I just want to help, so I can earn my freedom and get that murderous dip-shit in the electric-chair- let HIM know what 1000 volts of electricity feels like!"

Jimmy approached her, glaring. "So, you back-stabbed us, so you could back-stab Jacques, so you could get your frickin' revenge?" he snarled… then grinned. "And I thought you were just a pretty face."

"Jimmy!" The others scolded, but he just shrugged it off.

"Fine, we'll go along with it…" Danny said, glaring. "But, on ONE condition,"

"What's that?" Izzy asked.

"You help us break Silver's curse,"

Izzy shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess," she sighed. _Not that you guys will be able to break it after what happened 14 years ago… _she thought.

"Holy crap, Silver!" Lilly gasped. "He's still fighting Meds and Ace!"

"Who's Meds and Ace?" Rudy asked.

"Two creeps you wouldn't want to expose your 'secret' to," Jimmy replied.

They ran back to where Lilly last saw Silver… freezing when they saw Ace and Meds on the ground with darts in their back, with Anthony standing over them… and the warden holding a gun up to Silver's face, while two guards held him down. "Well, look who decided to join us," the warden said, then aimed her gun at Jimmy. "Think I'll start with YOU first,"

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

A/N: Hands up- who nearly had a heart-attack from too much suspense?

How will everyone get out of this mess? What's Jacque doing with the twins as we speak? Is Izzy telling the truth, or is it another trick? And who IS Jimmy's father?

Please review. Don't flame _or else_. (crap, now I'M using the cliché threat!)


	26. Chapter 26: Transportation to Doom

(Walks in, dressed like a pizza-boy, holding a pizza-box with the number 26 on it) Alright, who ordered Chapter 26?

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: Glad you admitted it lol. Sorry if you're a little confused, I'll try to clear it up later. And, yes, even I wouldn't trust Izzy… you never know what kind of tricks she might have up her sleeves. …And her story seems unbelievable? *slaps forehead* Darn it! I knew I should've written that better… :p Oh wells!

**X0X0X0X0X0X**

"WAIT! DON'T SHOOT HIM!" Rudy screamed, running in front of Jimmy, as if preparing to shield him from the warden's bullets…. Something he never thought he'd ever do.

"What the… who are you boys?" The warden sputtered, referring to Danny and Rudy.

"They're allies of Silver's… and two of the three boys who escaped my prison," Anthony replied, glaring at the boys darkly.

"That reminds me- if you want to arrest someone, warden, arrest THAT over-grown pussy!" Jimmy snapped, pointing at Anthony, hatred in his eyes. "He's trying to kill us!"

"I don't blame him- I'm about to kill you myself!" The warden sneered, cocking her gun.

"He was PAID to kill us, by the same man who killed my parents!" Danny snarled, defensively. "His name is Jacque Custoe. He's a French man who's after the throne to my king- AUGH!" The young prince was grabbed by a Kretin guard with orange hair, who gripped his arms and held him tight.

"Danny-!" Rudy screamed, preparing to run to his friend but was pulled back by the hydra-guard, being turned so that he could see that a ghostly-guard grabbed Lilly, a couple concrete Gladiator statues had a hold on Izzy, Jimmy was thrown and pinned to the ground by Anthony with his arm twisted behind his back, and Radio was nowhere to be seen!

The warden stepped up, rubbing her chin. "Let me guess… You're a prince?" she questioned Danny. "And your parents were murdered by a madman, who hired Anthony to capture you?"

"Yes! It's all a big misunderstanding." Danny said, sighing with relief. "We met Silver and Jimmy after Jacque's second attempt to kill me- he's tried to kill me three times now- and they helped us escape from Anthony!"

"Yeah, see? We're not the real criminals- Pussy-cat here and the crazy French guy are- aurgh!" Jimmy began, then cried out in pain when Anthony gave his arm another twist.

The warden nodded. "Ah. …That's all I needed to know." she said, then turned sharply to her guards. "Take them to Jacque's castle, men!"

"_**WHAT?**_" Jimmy, Rudy, Danny, Lilly, Izzy, and Silver all shouted.

"And keep them separated! They'll be easier to be taken care of if they're not together,"

"You're mad! MAD, I say!" Danny shouted, thrashing as the guards covered their wrists with shackling symbols, which linked together to form a chain-gang.

"Don't try to escape, or the symbols will engulf you and suffocate you like a constrictor!" Lilly whispered to Danny, Rudy, and Izzy. "Trust me… I've seen it happen."

They all walked in a line: Silver, Rudy, Lilly, Izzy, Danny, and Jimmy, with a couple guards ahead, behind, and beside them, making sure their prisoners wouldn't escape. Ace and Meds were still unconscious, also having shackling spells on them, and the warden ordered them to be taken back to Pent Towers immediately.

Anthony stepped up to Silver, smiling wickedly. "And once again, the Big Bad Wolf gets his," he whispered. Silver snarled at him, but the cat-creature only chuckled, knowing the werewolf couldn't do him any harm as long as those shackles were around his wrists.

"Once we drop this so-called prince and his little girlfriend off at Jacque's castle, I'll handle you and your little accomplice, later." The warden promised the werewolf, giving him a death-glare.

"You CAN'T take us to him!" Rudy cried, tears welling up inside his eyes. "He'll kill us!" A guard aimed a pistol at his head, and he shut up, sniffling a little. He looked behind him at Danny, who had a sickening, saddened, angered expression smeared across his face… an expression that made Rudy's heart ache, making him long for the prince's sweet smile and lively eyes and… and…

"Oy! Keep moving, twerp!" the Kretin guard snapped at Rudy, who had slowed down his pace, and the guard gave him a jolt with his cattle prod, making him cry in pain but pick up his pace. A small hiss emerged from the bushes, and the guard turned to see what made the sound, but saw nothing and continued walking.

They reached the street, where a large, black van sat there, the back doors open, ready to take them to their final destination. _Jeez, does EVERYONE drive a black van, now? _Jimmy thought, realizing that throughout this entire dilemma that a black van was the only vehicle he had rode in.

The guards shoved them in, making them sit on a long steel bench in the order they were chained, and they sat across from them, bearing their weapons as a message that the group of prisoners shouldn't try to pull something. _Why not? We're just going to end up dead, anyway. _Silver thought, bitterly. Looking over to the corner, he saw Ace and Meds plopped down next to each other, still unconscious. _I guess some guys just can't hold their tranquilizers. _

The doors were shut and the van's engine roared to life, and the black van drove down the street… with a small gray cat gripping on to its bumper, unseen by anyone.

**X0X0X0X0X0X**

It felt like they had been driving for days, though it was only three hours. No one said a word or even looked at each other, once again lost in their thoughts… and Jimmy wished someone would say SOMETHING, despising the silence. Silence made him think about things, and the things he thought about now were things he wished never entered his head: theories about who raped his mom… and who his father could be. He refused to look at Silver, still holding a grudge against the werewolf for keeping secrets from him, wishing that he had never met him in the first place- no, he wished his mother never married that ass-wipe Rupert, letting the creep steal their money, let her die of an internal illness, and having him live on the streets only to grow up to be a criminal. It was _Rupert's_ fault he was in this mess, and there was no way out… that is, until he could find an opportunity to escape again.

Danny was too stunned to utter a word, staring off into space. First, his parents were murdered. Second, the police wouldn't believe him or Rudy when they told them what happened. Third, Izzy betrays them, only to come back with some pity-story. And finally, they end up captured. Again. By a _warden_ who's handing them over to a _criminal_! He shut his eyes tightly, watching every tragic incident flash through his mind: jumping into a freezing river; getting drunk; nearly getting drowned in the same river; facing off a giant troll; getting in a fight with Jimmy; getting captured by Jacque once again and turned over to Anthony; waking up to Rudy kissing him; jumping out a window… Everything almost every other prince never went through! It was a moment like this that he wished he was never a prince… that he and his parents were a normal, middle-class family like Rudy's (only without two abusive twins), where they could spend time together, and he could make more friends, go to a real school… not be tracked down by some maniac. He then opened his eyes, snapping back to reality… wishing that he had kept his eyes shut.

Rudy allowed the tears to flow from his eyes, keeping his face cupped in his hands as he weeped. Even the abuse the twins gave him wasn't as bad as this! He wished he could wrap his arms around himself to keep from shaking, but it was impossible to do with shackling symbols around his wrists… and he then wished that someone would wrap their arms around him when he couldn't, to hold him close and tell him everything was going to be alright, that they'd figure out a way out of this catastrophe. But, since neither were possible, he decided to imagine such a thing, thinking about the times he was held in someone's arms… especially Danny's. Like the night the young prince got drunk, and after getting him to bed he snuggled up to him; and how he comforted the young prince back in the cabin, and they both, along with Jimmy, fell asleep next to each other, huddled closely… up until Radio made an ear-piercing yowl that scared ten years off their lives; and how… how he kissed him… and rather than holding a grudge, forgave him, and took him in his arms again. He wished he was in his arms right now, especially during a moment like this… or, back in his room, still asleep in each other's arms, waking up to see that this whole tragedy was just a nightmare, sighing with relief and snuggling back up with each other. …Actually, he wished that everything- from meeting Radio to Izzy's betrayal- was just a nightmare, caused by the twin's harsh games, and he could return to his life, go back to that field, watching the sunrise… everything good that he took advantage of, which he dreadfully missed now.

The van then came to a stop, and everyone was shoved out. The guards waved away Danny and Rudy's shackling-symbols, shoving them toward Jacque's castle, where two of the madman's henchmen stood guard… nearly peeing themselves when they saw a Kretin and a hydra approaching. "We were told to bring these three to the castle," one of the hydra's six heads said.

"U-Um… okay, we'll take them from h-here," One of the guards said, grabbing Rudy by the arm while the other guard grabbed Danny, and they hastily pulled the boys inside. Anthony followed them in, and the guards flinched when they saw the cat-creature behind them.

"I have some 'financial business' to discuss with Jacque," Anthony sneered, holding up his burned tail. "_Personal _financial business," The guards said nothing, and allowed him to follow.

The warden, meanwhile, had Silver and Jimmy stand on the side of the road, while the guards pulled Izzy and Lilly aside. She cocked her gun once more, aiming it at Silver, then at Jimmy. "Now then… which one should I shoot first?" she asked, jokingly.

"How about neither?" A voice said from above, and the warden looked up at the top of the truck-

"AUGH!"

-just in time for Radio to jump off and attack her face! The gun went off, missing Silver and Jimmy by mere inches, and the other guards ran other to see what was going on… only to be intervened by Izzy, who shot them with tranquilizer darts. She then ran over to Jimmy and Silver, swiping her hands through the shackling symbols and setting them free. "Izzy? But how-" Jimmy began.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we've got to save Danny and Rudy!" Izzy said, then turned to Lilly, whom she also freed. "You take care of the warden."

"Okey-dokey!" Lilly said cheerfully, running over to help Radio distract the warden, while the vampire, werewolf, and juvenile delinquent ran towards Jacque's castle.

**X0X0X0X0X0X**

Rudy thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, thinking there was nothing that could challenge the fact that he and his best-friend were about to be killed by Jacques…

…So, picture his surprise when he saw Chris and Chrys sitting in the foyer with the madman!

"Rudy!" The twins shouted, then ran toward their little brother. "You're alive!"

Rudy gulped. "Not for long…" he whimpered.

**X0X0X0X0X0X**

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't want to put TOO much suspense in this time… or use up all the action that's coming up next!

Please review. Please do not NOT not flame.


	27. Chapter 27: Avenged

Alright, no more waiting! Here's the next chapter!

Warning: This chapter may be a little graphic, and there's going to be some character deaths, just so you know.

_Reviewer Thanks_

Fangface the second: Ah, yes, always a good lesson to learn: Fairytales CAN be dangerous… especially the way I write 'em! XD just kidding. But, yes, I believe the twins will learn that the hard way.

Starspring: Glad it's more clear! And, yes, putting the summarized story in their POV makes it easy for me to remember everything, too :3

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Rudy expected Jacques to kill them right then and there, or perhaps was holding the twins hostage- 'don't say a word, or your brother and sister die', or something like that. Or, thinking worse-case scenario, the twins may have joined forces with the madman to make his life more of a living hell than it was before, abusing him for existing and being homosexual. _Silver was right… Life isn't easy when you're gay… _was all he thought as Chrys ran toward him.

Now, what he DIDN'T expect was for his older sister to wrap him in a hug and hold him tight… rather than trap him in a choke-hold like she would normally do. "Oh, thank God you're okay!" she exclaimed, almost close to a sob.

Okay, now things were starting to feel a little off-balance in the universe. "Um… yeah…." came Rudy's reply, as he felt awkward about hugging his sister back. He had never hugged either of his siblings before.

Chris stormed up to Danny, grabbing him by the shirt-collar. "What did you do to my little brother, you ass-wipe?" he snarled, glaring at Danny eye-to-eye.

"W-What? Nothing! I…" Danny stammered, trying to explain.

"Chris, wait!" Rudy gasped, trying to run over to Danny, but his sister held him back.

"Don't go near him, Rudy! He'll hurt you!" Chrys said as she held her little brother close.

"What? He won't hurt me! Where did you get an idea like that?"

"Oh, don't try to cover for him, Rudy!" Chris scoffed, then glared at Danny once more. "Did you _threaten _to _kill_ him if he blabbed, you sicko? Huh? DID you?"

"What are you talking about? I would never lay a hand on him!" Danny retorted.

"Unlikely story!" Chrys snapped. "That's exactly what any creep like you would say!"

_Only because you've had experience… _Rudy wanted to say, remembering how the twins had threatened and abused him, but his sister's tight grip prevented him from doing so. All he could choke out was, "He's… innocent! Gack! …C-Chrys, you're choking me!"

But the twins didn't hear him. "Jacque told us all about you, you murderous bastard!" Chris snapped at the young prince. "About how you killed your family to get the throne, and decided to kidnap our little brother so you'd have some 'company' during your rule! …Guys like you make me SICK!"

"He's lying!" Danny cried. "I'm not the bad guy, HE is! He killed my parents so HE could rule the kingdom! My mother found out and had me run away, just in time for him to blow up our castle!"

"It's true!" Rudy finally managed to scream. "Radio and I found him by the river, and tried to get the police to help-"

"Who's Radio?" Chrys asked, arching an eyebrow.

"She's that cat I found the other night. She can talk! And we also met Izzy! She gave us a ride home when we ran out of that party-"

"A talking cat? Rudy, are you feeling okay?"

"So, you WERE at that party!" Chris said. "Ha! I knew it!"

"By the way, tell your friends to skip the alchoholic beverages next time," Danny sneered.

Chris smacked him across the face. "_You_ shut up!"

"Leave him alone!" Rudy begged.

"Why are you trying to defend him?" Chrys asked Rudy, referring to Danny. "Did he threaten you?"

"No! He's my friend…"

"And Jacque is the REAL killer! He's trying to kill me-" Danny began.

"Lies!" Jacques sneered. "You honestly think zat, just because you are a mere child, these two would believe you? I saw what you did, and when I tried to call ze cops after helping your sister escape, you locked me away-a! Fortunately, ze jail-cells were so smoldered from ze fire zat they just collapsed-a, and I managed to escape!"

"That… is the STUPIDEST excuse I have ever heard!" A voice scoffed from the doorway, and everyone turned to see Jimmy standing before them. "Where'd you get that lame line? 'World's Dumbest Criminals'?"

"What ze…? How ze 'ell did YOU get in?"

As if to answer the madman's questions, two guards were thrown past Jimmy and into the room, completely beaten up, having shocked looks on their faces. Jacques and the twins gasped when they saw Silver step up behind Jimmy, both of them having the same scowl on their faces. Chrys screamed, releasing Rudy, while Chris dropped Danny in alarm.

"Some guards," Silver scoffed. "Couldn't even handle a single punch… and I think one of them pissed himself,"

"Jimmy! Silver! You're okay!" Rudy exclaimed as he and Danny ran over to their friends, but the twins grabbed their little brother and held him back.

"Rudy, are you CRAZY?" Chris hissed. "First, you run off with some sicko, and NOW you're dealing with some hairy beast with a kid who looks like he's been sleeping in a dumpster!"

"Hey! That's not true!" Jimmy snapped. "I never slept in a dumpster! …Okay, maybe there was that one time, last winter… but still!"

"But… they're my friends! They-" Rudy began to protest, squirming in his siblings' grasp.

"No, they're _not_, Rudy!" Chrys snapped, yanking her brother back. "You don't HAVE any friends, remember?"

Rudy then stopped moving. All of a sudden, he felt something boil in his blood, and his muscles began to tense, his jaw tightened, and his brows began to furrow. He had developed a feeling he had never felt in his entire life: pure, hell-raising, blind-fury! "Yes… I… DO!" he then elbowed Chris hard in the ribs and kicked Chrys in the shin, making them loosen their grips enough for him to pull away and run toward his friends. For the first time in his life, he had stood up to his brother and sister… and it felt GOOD!

"Rudy… what the $$$$?" Chris choked out.

"You want the truth? Here it is! I found Danny collapsed at the edge of the river, and tried to help him by taking him to the cops and reporting that _Jacque_ killed his parents! They didn't believe us, so I decided to bring him home- that's right, I brought another boy home! And, yeah, we went to that party, and afterwards Jacque found us and tried to DROWN us! Danny managed to escape his bonds and _saved my life_, and that's when we met Silver and Jimmy…"

"Yo," Jimmy said in greeting.

"We tried running to another town with them to find help, but Silver disappeared-"

"Captured by one of Jacque's hired lackies," Silver added, glaring at the madman.

"-and Izzy turned out to be a spy for Jacque and he sent us to this abandoned jail building to be executed, but Silver helped us escape-"

"Hey, I helped too! I snatched the _keys_, remember?" Jimmy scoffed.

"And we hid in the forest, but were re-captured by these other creepy creatures, and they dragged us here so Jacque could kill us!" Rudy panted, out of breath from re-telling the story.

"Why should we believe that?" Chris scoffed. "How do we know they didn't tell you to make it up, so we wouldn't let Jacque kill them for kidnapping you?"

"Since when are WE part of this whole kidnapping-story?" Silver sneered.

"If I WAS kidnapped by them, why would I be standing by them now, trying to defend them? They didn't threaten me! They're really my friends and…" he then wrapped his arms around Jimmy and Danny's shoulders. "And I love them…"

"Um, dude? Don't touch me," Jimmy said, grabbing Rudy's arm and folding it off of his shoulder.

"HEY!" Jacque shouted, holding up a gun in the air as he stepped between the twins. "Am I going to kill these kidnappers, or not?"

Chris and Chrys looked at their little brother, who kept his arm wrapped around Danny, seeing his eyes tearing up. They looked at Jimmy and Silver, who were glaring at them… no, at _Jacque_ as he held the gun, and the werewolf put a hand on the boy's shoulder, growling at the madman. Chrys and Chris looked at each other, then looked back at Jacque and sneered. "You're not killing anyone," Chrys snapped, kicking her leg up high and knocking the gun out of Jacque's hand. It fell on the floor in front of Chris, who quickly grabbed it.

"Run!" Chris ordered, and they left the room.

Jacques snarled and pursued them. Chris tried to shoot the madman, but kept hitting the walls. "Ah, for the love of crud, give it to me!" Jimmy snapped, taking the gun out of Chris' hand and- having a clear aim at Jacque- pulled the trigger.

*Click! Click! Click!*

Jimmy looked at the empty gun, then sneered at Chris. "Nice going, idiot! You wasted all the bullets!" He threw the gun behind him-

*Konk!*

-hitting Jacque in the forehead. "Eh, not exactly bloody, but it'll do."

They burst out a door, startling a couple henchmen who stood guard outside, running into the forest. "Guards! Prepare ze helicopter! They're on ze run!" Jacque ordered.

"Again?" One guard said, boredly.

"MOVE!"

The guards scrambled, doing as their hot-headed maniacal boss said. "This isn't worth the hours…" one guard muttered.

"Where are we going?" Chrys asked as they all ran.

"To find help, of course!" Danny replied.

"Golly, if ya'll need help, you don't have to run so far!" A voice giggled, and Lilly appeared.

"Where have you been?" Silver demanded.

"I was just making sure none of them guards followed us in. They sure seemed spooked at seeing a ghost walking in the halls."

"We're dealing with a GHOST now, too?" Chris scoffed. "What's next, a vampire?"

"Hello!" Izzy exclaimed, falling from the air and landing next to Chris, with Radio hanging on to her back.

Chris nearly tripped. "Ack!"

"Sorry we took so long. We had to take care of the warden!"

"And I suggest we continue to run. Fast!" Radio said.

"Double-ACK!" Chris shrieked. "The cat talks!"

"Told you so," Rudy said.

"We'll deal with intros later," Silver snapped. "Right now, we've got to-"

*Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta! Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!*

They heard the sound of a machine gun, and bullets began raining from the sky- specifically, Jacque's helicopter. "RUN!" Rudy screamed.

As if things couldn't get any worse, two familiar faces leaped out in front of them- Ace and Meds, and Ace was in his lizard-form and Meds had snakes sticking out of his head. "Shit, who freed THESE guys?" Jimmy sneered.

"I-I thought they were friends of yours…" Izzy said, sheepishly.

"Izzy?" Lilly said, deadpanned.

"Yeah?"

"You're an idiot."

More bullets rained down, making everyone duck down, but luckily they were barely missed. "You guys keep running," Silver ordered the kids. "I'll handle these $$%$$%$$&$,"

"I'm staying with you," Jimmy said.

"Jim-"

"Dude, if there's one thing I refuse to do, is run from a couple of punk-asses who've given me shit… all the while letting you handle them alone. I'm not putting your lessons in vain and letting you have all the fun,"

Silver sighed, shaking his head. "You're so stubborn… You remind me of your mom,"

"Shut up and lets fight already," Jimmy then turned to the others, who still stood there. "I'm sorry, but didn't Silver tell you guys to run like hell?"

"Good luck, Jimmy," Rudy said, hugging the boy one last time before he and the others took off.

Jimmy brushed himself off. "And stop hugging me! Sheesh,"

Izzy and Lilly remained with them. "You mind if we join in?" Izzy asked.

"Sure, it's your funeral." Silver scoffed, then turned to Ace and Meds. "Bring it, bitches,"

Ace hissed and Meds growled, and both of them lunged. Silver tackled Ace, trying to wrestle him to the ground, but this time the lizard-creature was prepared to fight. Meds gave Jimmy a death-glare, but the boy looked down and punched him in the gut, making him hunch over, then punched him upside the jaw. He was about to throw another punch until the Gorgon grabbed his wrist and hoisted him up to eye-level, but he quickly shut his eyes and kicked the creature in the gut, making him loosen his grip, then Jimmy punched him in one of his hypnotic eyes.

Silver wasn't having as much luck, for Ace had pinned his arms to the ground and prepared to bite his face off… when suddenly the werewolf just disappeared out from under him. "What the heck?" the lizard-creature hissed, then felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around-

*POW!*

-getting punched square in the face by Silver. "Lilly, I owe you one," Silver exclaimed, high-fiving Lilly.

"Eh, anytime Silv," Lilly replied with a shrug.

Meds chased Jimmy around a tree, going in circles once… twice… three times, when he suddenly realized the boy wasn't in front of him anymore. He paused, scratching his head, wondering where the boy had run off to…

*WHAM!*

…His question was answered when Jimmy jumped down from the tree, landing on his shoulders and knocking him down. Izzy landed right next to him, smirking. "Oldest trick in the book and he STILL fell for it!" Jimmy chuckled. "What a re-"

Meds grabbed Jimmy by the throat, pulling him to eye-level. "Now, you're going to die!" he growled, glaring so deep into Jimmy's eyes, the boy didn't have time to look away.

"Jimmy, catch!" Izzy cried, throwing Jimmy a compact mirror.

Shaking out of his trance long enough to catch the mirror, Jimmy held it in front of Meds' own eyes. The Gorgon stared… and stared… and stared… and suddenly just froze. He had hypnotized himself! "Yet another old trick," Jimmy said, pulling himself out of the Gorgon's grip. He saw a knife sticking out of Meds' pocket, and grabbed it. "This could come in handy…" He looked over at Silver and Ace, just then…

"You won't win THISSSS time, SSSSilver!" Ace hissed, lunging at Silver, who quickly dodged and grabbed him by the tail.

"Don't be so delusional, Ace- I ALWAYS win!" Silver retorted, swinging the lizard-creature into a tree.

"Oh? Like how you won LASSSST time, when thosssse hunterssss took your little girlfriend away?"

Silver glared and tackled Ace, but he was ready for the werewolf and stepped to the side, sticking out his scaly green arm and causing Silver to run into it, hitting his throat and falling back on the ground, and the lizard-creature quickly grabbed him and slammed his head into the tree. "Silver!" Lilly cried, running over.

Ace had caught Silver in a choke-hold, and stood in front of Lilly. "Don't even try anything, you ghossst-brat!" the lizard-creature then bit Silver's neck, making him snarl in pain, then he pulled back his mouth, grinning and showing blood on his fangs. "I injected him with my venom. Ssssoon, he'll be assss dead asss y-"

*SKISH!*

Ace paused just then, his grip tightening around Silver's throat. Lilly quickly ran up and ghosted Silver out of the lizard-creature's grip, and watched as he reverted back into his human form, then fell face-first on the ground… with a knife sticking out of his back. Jimmy stood behind him, a dark look in his eyes. "Don't you EVER mess with my friend," the boy snarled, ripping the knife out of Ace's back.

Lilly's eyes were wide. "Whoa…" she gasped.

"Nice work, Jimbo," Silver chuckled, weakly. "I didn't think you had it… in you…" he then fell to the ground.

"Silver!" Jimmy gasped, running over to the werewolf and kneeling by his side.

They heard the sound of a helicopter over-head once again, watching it land a short distance beyond the trees. "Rudy and Danny need our help!" Izzy gasped, then turned to Jimmy. "You stay with Silver. I'll be back," With a quick pace only her species could have, Izzy shot through the trees to find the other two boys, leaving Lilly and Jimmy with Silver.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Rudy, Radio, Danny and the twins ran as fast as they could through the dense trees. "Do you think they'll be alright?" Danny asked Rudy.

"Who cares? We've got our _own_ lives to think about, in case you've forgotten!" Chrys snapped. As if to prove her point, more bullets rained down, this time one of them grazed Chris' shoulder.

"Augh! It burns!" Chris cried out, falling to his knees and clutching his arm.

Chrys and Rudy stopped beside their brother, grabbing him by his good arm and waist, pulling him under a tree. "Oh my g- it's… it's bleeding!"

"Well, that normally happens when you get shot," Radio said, rolling her eyes.

Danny took off his hat and pressed it to Chris' wound. "Ow! That hurts!" he snapped.

"Well, now you know how your brother feels when you abuse him," Danny snapped back.

Chrys and Chris glared at Rudy. "You TOLD him?" They both growled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Rudy scoffed, surprising the twins. They have never seen him act so cocky before. "You can throttle me later- if we're still alive. You just stay here, and we'll lead Jacque away. If we don't come back… I want to know that, even though you're my family and I love you, you had no reason to abuse me despite my social status, and for that I pray God has mercy on your soul if you don't survive too." With that he, Radio and Danny ran off.

"Did he… just talk back at us?" Chrys gasped.

"Yeah… and if we make it through his, I'm going to kick his a-AUGH! Pain!" Chris replied, clutching his wounded arm. "It hurts… it hurts so bad…"

"You think it was wise to leave them alone?" Radio asked Rudy.

"Trust me, I've known it's always wise to leave them alone, no exceptions," Rudy replied. "Besides, I don't want Jacque to kill them… no matter how tempting the offer may be."

"Sounds like someone's in a dark mood…"

"Hey, less chit-chat, more running!" Danny said. "We've got to find shelter before one of us gets-"

*POW!*

"REEOOOOOW!" Radio yowled in pain.

"-shot…" Danny gasped, and he and Rudy turned around, seeing Radio lying on the ground, blood trickling down her side.

"Radio!" Rudy shrieked, rushing to the cat's aid, and he carefully scooped her into his arms. "Radio… Radio? Speak to me!"

"Rudo…" Radio tried to say, but couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes slid shut, and her body fell limp.

"No… No, Radio, please!" He then began to sob. "Don't go, we need you! Please…"

Suddenly, a large wind started to rattle the tree-tops, and they watched as Jacque's helicopter landed before them, and the madman stepped out. He looked at them, then turned to his henchman who held the machine-gun. "You idiot! You shot ze cat!" he spat, snatching the gun out of the henchman's hand. "Bah! Never mind! If you want something done, you have to do it yourself-a!" He aimed the gun at Danny. "Say your prayers, you little whelp."

"NO!" Rudy heard a voice cry… then found out it was his own… and found himself running and tackling Danny to the ground as Jacque pulled the trigger, sending a line of bullets shooting at a tree.

"Damn it! Would you two just let me kill you, for once?" Jacque aimed to shoot again-

*WHAM!*

"Leave them alone, Jacque!" Izzy hissed as she slammed into Jacque, knocking him to the ground, having the gun fly out of his hands and land just a foot away. He tried to push her off, but the vampire was too strong, and she grabbed him by the shirt-collar and began punching his face. "This is for Rudy!"

*BAM!*

"This is for Danny!"

*BAM!*

"This is for Silver and Jimmy!"

*BAM! BAM!*

"And this… is for Nadine!"

*Bada-BAM!*

"Guards!" Jacques screamed, and his henchmen tackled Izzy off of him.

"Get off me!" Izzy snarled, thrashing in the guards' grips, tearing out of their hands and grabbing their throats, then bashed their heads together.

Jacque saw his gun just a foot away from him, and crawled over to it… but a foot slammed down on it, and he looked up and saw Danny, giving him the darkest glare he had ever seen. The young prince picked up the gun and aimed it at Jacque.

Jacque just sneered. "Who are you kidding? You don't have ze heart to kill…" he sneered.

"No… I'm not like you." He threw the gun to the side, out of Jacque's reach. "But, you WILL suffer for what you have done." He then punched Jacque in the face, and the madman lunged and trapped him in a choke-hold, holding a revolver to his head.

"I always come prepared… Say hello to your parents for me," He squeezed the trigger…

*Blam!*

Danny flinched, awaiting the pain that would lead to his premature death… but it never came. He looked up, seeing that Jacque had a stunned look on his face, and his grip weakened as he fell sideways onto the ground, showing a bullet-wound in the side of his head. Danny backed away, stunned, then looked over to see where the shot had come from, his heart nearly stopping when he saw Rudy with the machine-gun, standing there, panting heavily, his hands shaky as he held the gun.

"Rudy!" Danny gasped, running to his friend. "You… you shot him."

"H-He was going to kill you…" Rudy said, still shaking. "The gun was… and I… he…" dropping the gun, he fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself and sobbing. "I didn't want to do it! I-I had no choice…"

Danny knelt down and wrapped his arms around him. "You saved my life… and avenged my parents' death. …You're my hero, Rudy."

"You can be a hero too, you know." Izzy said, standing before them with Radio's lifeless body in her arms. "You can save Radio,"

"H-How? She was shot!" Rudy sobbed.

Izzy sat down on her knees in front of the boys. "You can fulfill her wish. She's done so much for you, and didn't ask for anything in return but a small favor," she handed Radio to Rudy. "You can figure it out for yourself."

Rudy and Danny looked at each other, then at Radio. "She was… so kind to us, and caring." Danny sighed, sadly. "She was almost like my mother."

"If it wasn't for her… I'd probably never have met any of you." Rudy said, sniffling. "She gave me an adventure I'd never dared to dream…" he hugged Radio and nuzzled his face against hers. "Thank you, Radio… for everything." he then gave her a small peck on her lips, then lied her on the ground.

Izzy pulled a jacket off one of the henchmen she beat to a pulp and draped it over Radio's body, and they sat there in silence.

"If you're all done grieving, I request a favor," A voice said, and they looked over, gasping when they saw the warden with scratch marks on her face. She looked down at Jacque, then sneered. "Hmph. You know, Detective, when I told you I needed your special skills for this case, I didn't entirely recommend your deadly ones."

"She didn't shoot him. I-" Rudy began to confess, but Izzy stopped him.

"The guy took the coward's way out- suicide." Izzy said, staring the warden straight in the eye as she lied. "Couldn't handle being captured. Now, if you'll come with me, I'll take you to Silver,"

"Wait… did she call you… Detective?" Danny asked Izzy.

"I'll explain later. Now, c'mon."

They followed Izzy and the warden, as the Pent Tower guards gathered up the dead bodies. Rudy quickly ran over and scooped up Radio's body, keeping it wrapped in the jacket, and carried her with. _The best I can give her now is a proper funeral. _he thought as he walked.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jimmy watched as Silver's steady breathing suddenly turned into gasps for air. "Easy, dude… you're going to be okay," he said to the werewolf. "If you can deal with cat-creatures, a warden with PMS, a couple creeps… let alone a kid like me… you can pull through anything, even some dumb reptile's spit."

"Heh heh… 'fraid I'm not that strong, kid," Silver said, straining to speak. "Even the toughest… guys can't handle everything…"

"But you can! C'mon, Silver, you'll pull through! You gotta…"

Silver reached up and put a paw on Jimmy's shoulder. "You can never stop being stubborn… can you…?"

"…Not in a situation like this."

Silver gave a small smirk. "Too bad…" his smirk faded as he let out a painful cough.

Jimmy bit his bottom lip. "Please don't leave me, Silver," he began to whisper, gripping the werewolf's hand. "I need you… I don't want to end up living on the streets again… I don't want you to leave me, like how my mom did…" he began to wince. "I don't want to re-live that moment…"

Silver gripped his hand gently. "Jimmy… I told you… No matter what happened, your mother never left you. She's always watching you, looking out for you… and I will be, too…" he gave another painful cough, and his breathing began to slow down.

"Don't say that… you can't leave…"

"Don't have much of… a choice there… now, do I?"

Jimmy shut his eyes tight, trying to keep the tears from falling. He knew it was true, but didn't want to believe it. "Before…. Before you go… please tell me the truth. …Who was my father?"

Silver sighed, and it caused him pain. "I never knew… Your mother was pregnant the first time… we met. I didn't know it… until she came back… and told me. Her old boyfriend… your real father… ran off… when she told him… but she tried to… keep it a secret… until…"

"…Until that mob attacked, I know. …So, Rupert isn't my father?"

"As small of balls… he had… I doubt he could… get a single… sperm… going…" he coughed again, this time it was more painful than the last. "I didn't tell you… because I… didn't want you to know that… your real dad… missed out on… having a damn-good son… like you."

Jimmy held his paw, stroking the fur of it with his thumb. "I… I'm sorry… about what I said earlier. I just…" he sighed and looked down. "I just wanted to know so bad… I never had a real father…" tears began to fall from his eyes. "Until I met you…"

Silver gave a small smile, then lifted a shaky paw to Jimmy's face, wiping away his tears. Jimmy held his paw to his face, smiling back… but his smile faded when Silver's eyes shut and his body fell limp. _No… not now! He… he can't! _he thought, frantically. _No… he…_

Jimmy did what he had never done for seven years- he cried, resting his head on Silver's chest, letting the tears fall. "Don't leave me, Silver… I-I need you…" he sobbed. "I… I love you…"

Lilly had stood there silently, letting tears fall from her face as she watched the moment. She couldn't do anything, she couldn't say anything… all she could do was cry. The others arrived, coming through the bushes, with the warden and twins following behind them, but they froze when they saw Silver motionless on the ground, with Jimmy crying on his chest. The warden didn't even make a move to arrest him, but just stood there, surprised. "They were close," Lilly said to the warden, not even looking at her. "They gave each other something both of them needed,"

"What was that?" The warden asked, not looking at Lilly.

The ghost-girl stayed silent for a moment, before replying. "Love."

Thunder roared overhead, and rain began to fall, filling the atmosphere with a dreary seen to match everyone's grief.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

A/N: Sorry for the gruesome deaths… except for Jacque and Ace's. They deserved it.

Well, the story's almost over. Just a couple chapters to go until the finally. Until then, read and review. Don't flame, 'cuz this chapter's sad enough.


	28. Chapter 28: Spells Broken At Last

Well, I think I've given you all enough suspense. Here's another chapter!

_Reviewer Thanks_

Starspring: What makes you think I was in a killing mood? *hides axe behind back* lol. Glad you liked the intensity, and I'm REALLY glad I didn't give you a heart-attack! :D

**0o0o0o0o0**

_Silver opened his eyes, seeing that he was surrounded. _

_Surrounded… by darkness. 'Where am I?' he wondered as he sat up, noticing he was sitting on the floor of a dark room, witch was only lit by a dim light emitting from a small, glass mirror, sitting alone on a table. He scowled, knowing the mirror was all-too familiar- it was the same mirror that sorcerer left him after he placed him under a curse. _

_He was back in his castle. 'But… how did I get here? Last time I remember I was with… Jimmy!' he thought, then frantically picked up the mirror. "Show me Jimmy Krook!" he demanded._

_But rather than showing him Jimmy, the mirror showed him an image of a woman, sitting in a bedroom next to a woman with dark-hair and pale skin, who had a remarkable resemblance to Izzy. Silver recognized the woman with dark hair as her mother, Jocelyn. "Don't be so upset with my master," she was telling the other woman. "He's just had… issues in the past. He's really nice once you get to know him!"_

"_I don't care!" The other woman snapped, tears in her eyes. "Thanks to him, I'm stuck here, I'll never see my family again, and I'm going to have to…" she hesitated, and began to bawl. "I just want to go home…"_

'_Boy, she really was pissed at me, back then,' Silver thought, putting down the mirror and shaking his head. He looked out his window at the stars above, wondering how he had gotten back here, when he heard a crash. Turning around, he saw a gruff looking man dragging something into his room… that something happened to be the brown-haired woman he had just seen in the mirror!_

_She was unconscious, and the man threw her onto Silver's bed, tearing off her shirt- but didn't get farther than that when Silver grabbed him by the throat and threw him out the window. He faced the woman, covering her up with a blanket, just in time for her to come to. "Ashley, are you alright?" he asked._

"_Yes… what happened? I was knocked out by this horrible man, and-" she began, but Silver interrupted._

"_Lets just say he took an express-way out of my castle… and into Heaven- or hell. It depends."_

_She sat up, and her shirt was suddenly sewn back together, and she sat on the edge of his bed. He heard music coming from outside his room, possibly from the dining hall, but he couldn't figure out why. "Silver… I have something to tell you," Ashley said. "I'm… expecting."_

_Silver arched an eyebrow. "Expecting… what?" Ashley gave him a look, lying her hand on her stomach, and Silver got the message. "Oh! You mean you're… Oh, shit! Ash, listen, I-I swear, I didn't do anything to you when you were unconscious after that maniac knocked you out! I-"_

"_Silver, calm down, I know it's not yours! …It's my ex-boyfriend's."_

"_Your… ex-boyfriend's?"_

"_Yes… I met him a year ago. When I told him I was pregnant, he left me."_

"_Oh. Whew, boy, you nearly scared me… Does your family know?"_

_Ashley shook her head. "No… I'm afraid that, if I tell them, they'll leave me too."_

_Silver cocked his head to the side. "So… why are you telling me, then?"_

"_Because…" she took his hand. "I just couldn't hide it any longer and had to tell someone I could trust… and you're the only one I can trust, Silver."_

_Silver winced. "You… you really trust me?"_

_She nodded. "Yes… you're my friend, and you've taken care of me this whole month we've been together, and I felt it would be best if you found out first, before anyone else."_

"_Wow, Ash… I don't know what to say. …Thank you." he held her hand. "And… if you want… I can also help take care of your kid, too."_

"_Really?"_

"_Sure. Anything you need, I'll give to you." he rubbed the back of his neck. "The truth is, I…"_

_Silver was interrupted by frantic screams coming from outside, and suddenly his door was knocked down and a bullet was shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder. "SILVER!" Ashley screamed, and was pulled away. "Let go of me, Rupert!"_

"_So, THIS is your furry-friend, eh?" Rupert snapped, aiming his gun at Silver. "Well, it's a good thing friendship doesn't always last…"_

"_NO!"_

_*BANG!*_

_Everything faded back to black, and when Silver opened his eyes once again, all he could see was white, and he felt… lighter. As if he were floating. 'So, this is the end,' he thought as he floated higher and higher, the white light becoming more and more intense, yet the brightness didn't sting his eyes one bit. 'Too bad… Her son would've been a great kid.'_

"_Silver…" A voice suddenly called… the voice of Jimmy. "Silver, please don't leave me! I need you!"_

'_Sorry, Jimmy… you're on your own now…' Silver thought sadly, and suddenly a tear squeezed out of his eye. '… I don't want to leave you, either. I want to take care of you, like I promised your mom… I want to give you the things you need that your dumb-assed step-dad didn't give… I want to guide you, protect you, take care of you- all the things I did for your mom… Because I loved her… and I…'_

"_I love you…"_

_Silver's eyes widened. 'He… he does…?' he shut his eyes tight as he continued to float higher and higher. 'Oh, please, God… he needs me! Let me stay with him… please… I love him.'_

_And everything went black again._

**0o0o0o0o0**

Jimmy continued to cry over Silver's lifeless body, while everyone stood there silently, in respect. Rudy looked at Danny, then handed Lilly Radio's lifeless body, as he walked over to Jimmy, kneeling by his side. He didn't touch him, nor did he say anything, for it would do nothing for the poor rebel, he knew. Danny walked over and knelt on the other side of Jimmy, shakily putting a hand on his shoulder. For once, Jimmy didn't snap at him- it was as if he couldn't even feel his touch, becoming lost in his own sorrow. All the prince and his friend could do was make sure Jimmy wouldn't forget that he wasn't alone… for all three of them had lost someone dear to them, along with Izzy and Lilly, who joined them as well. Lilly sat Radio's wrapped-up body beside her as she sat by Rudy, tears streaming down her transparent face, while Izzy sat in silence.

To all of them, Silver and Radio's deaths felt like they lost everything- their parents, their friends, their confidence- all over again, and they kept their eyes shut, allowing their tears to seep through their eyelids, slide down their cheeks, and blend in with the raindrops that fell from the sky.

Izzy paused just then, feeling something strange shift in the air. She opened her eyes, gasping when she saw that her skin was illuminating, and suddenly she felt lighter. "G-Guys!" she gasped. Danny was the first to notice her, and gasped when she began floating in the air.

"What in the world…?" Danny whispered in awe.

Lilly felt a luminance beside her, and slowly opened her eyes… seeing that, beneath the jacket, a small light was shining. "Rudy…" she whispered, shaking the boy's shoulder, getting his attention and pointing to the jacket, as the light shined brighter and brighter.

"What the…?" Rudy gasped.

Jimmy lifted his head, wondering what all the gasps and whispers were about… seeing first-sight that Silver's body was glowing as well. "Whoa!" he cried, falling backward and watching as Silver's body rose into the air. "What's going on?"

"You tell me!" Izzy said, feeling a tingling sensation shoot through her body.

Lights of every color then rained from the sky, swirling around Silver and Izzy, while Radio's light shined brighter and brighter. "Hey! What's with the light show?" Chris exclaimed, covering his eyes when the lights began to grow too bright, and Chrys and the warden did the same, while the others just stared in awe.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and Izzy and Silver were lowered onto the ground. Izzy stood on her legs, wobbling a bit, and Rudy and Danny rushed over and caught her before she fell. Jimmy just stared at Silver… or, at least, who he thought was Silver.

When the lights dimmed, the werewolf had disappeared, and in his place lied a man with shaggy black hair, a thin beard, hazel eyes, and wearing nothing but a pair of pants. Jimmy began to approach him, but the man slowly began to sit up, rubbing his head. "Man, I feel like I've been hit by a truck!" the man said, then paused, grabbing his throat. "Wait… what happened to my voice?" he then looked at his hands, his eyes widening. "And… my hands… they're… I'm…"

"Holy crap…" Jimmy whispered in disbelief.

The man turned to him, giving a small smile. "Jimmy!" his smile faded when he saw the stunned look on the boy's face. "What's the matter?" Jimmy said nothing, just sat there in disbelief. The man slowly walked over to him and knelt in front of him, reaching his hand out, but the boy cringed. "Jim… don't worry. It's me. Silver." The man gave him another smile.

Jimmy just stared at him, arching an eyebrow. His eyes were hazel, not yellow like Silver's; his voice sounded smooth, not gruff like Silver's; …He didn't resemble Silver at all, Jimmy believed. That is, until he looked at his smile- the same smile Silver gave him when he was being cocky, insulting him, or was up to something. "It… it IS you!" Jimmy gasped, then did something he thought he would never do in front of anyone- he leaned forward and hugged Silver, burying his face into his shoulder. "I thought you were gone forever…"

Silver chuckled, rubbing Jimmy's back. "Ah, c'mon, Jimbo… you can't get rid of me THAT easily!" Jimmy gave a small laugh, pulling himself closer into Silver's embrace, tears rolling down his eyes. Not from sorrow… but from joy.

The warden stepped up, standing beside Izzy once she was steady on her feet. That's when everyone noticed a change in her appearance: her black hair was suddenly chocolate brown; her gothic-styled clothes were replaced with a purple T-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of brown sandals; and her bright pink eyes were now brown. "Well, Detective, I guess your theory was correct after all." The warden said to her. "Your master, Silver, was clearly under a spell after all, proof that his testimony was true after all, I assume."

"Correct," Izzy said. "My family and I were placed under the same curse, and only a confession of love from both Silver and whoever loved him back could break it. Fortunately, Jimmy was able to do what his mother couldn't do- since that twisted man ruined everything- and was able to break the spell."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it!" Chrys exclaimed. "Could somebody PLEASE tell me what's going on here?"

"Yeah, what's with all this talk about magic spells, and detectives, and some kid's mom?" Chris demanded.

"Allow ME to explain- but listen good, because I'm only going to explain this, once!" the warden sighed, irritably. "A long time ago, Silver was taken into custody due to charges of murder and rape, which are now considered false. Once of my men were working under-cover and suggested he be brought to Pent Towers for trial, and happened to find Izzy during the commotion. Izzy was two at the time, having few language skills, but managed to babble something about it all being a mistake."

"It wasn't 'babble'… you guys just need to learn to speak 'infant'." Izzy huffed.

"We found it puzzling at first, and decided to keep Izzy as a source, having a foster vampire family take care of her. Once she was old enough, we asked her if she remembered what happened at Silver's castle, and surprisingly she remembered everything quite well."

"Pfft! It's not THAT surprising, I have a long memory!"

"We decided to put her through training, and gave her a Detective's license to go undercover on the case for further information- find out who framed Silver, and why. (sigh) Sadly, we couldn't find any evidence to prove his innocence, and with the court-system the way it is nowadays a single testimony from Izzy wasn't enough." she shot Silver a glare. "And his misbehavior in prison wasn't helping much, either." Silver shrugged, and the warden faced the others again. "Izzy was determined to prove his innocence, though, and wouldn't quit the case… even though she was already given a new case on Jacque Custoe."

"He's the guy who killed my parents," Danny said.

"Yes, and Izzy was sent to work undercover with him, after we heard about some suspicious activity he had been conducting, namely a purchase of a magic mirror."

"I started tracking Jacque's every move, but I lost contact with him when he moved to a different location- i.e., Danny's castle." she looked down sadly, clutching her fists. "By the time I got there, though, it was too late. The bastard blew up the place! I did, however, arrive just in time for ol' Frenchy to start a search-party for Danny's body after he jumped in the river. Everyone assumed he was dead after finding his tattered back-pack, but I figured otherwise and followed the river into town after everyone left." she turned and smiled at Danny and Rudy. "That's when I found you guys." she turned back to the warden, her smile fading. "Unfortunately, Jacque had another man on the inside, and apparently HE knew about their whereabouts as much as I did, but I never found out who it was…"

The twins snapped their fingers. "That cop!" they said in unison.

"Pardon?" The warden asked.

"Some cop told us he knew where to find Danny and Rudy, and he took us out to this field." Chrys explained.

"But he knocked us out, and when we came to, we were in Jacque's castle!" Chris finished.

The warden nodded. "I'll have to send out a unit for this disgraceful policeman's capture, then." she said.

"I'm sorry for betraying you guys," Izzy said to Danny, Rudy, and Jimmy. "Jacque was starting to get suspicious, and I couldn't blow my cover."

"What about that story about your shock-bracelet?" Rudy asked, pointing at the device on Izzy's wrist.

Izzy held up her wrist. "Oh, this? This is just a communication device I used to keep in contact with the Pent Towers unit. I had to keep it hidden under my wrist-band so Jacque wouldn't catch it, and I made up that story so I could earn your trust back."

"If you wanted to earn our trust back, why didn't you just tell us the truth?" Danny asked.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "You would honestly believe me if I said I was a detective working undercover for a Monster Police Force?"

"Well… we would… if you showed us a badge," Jimmy scoffed.

Izzy thought about it. "Mm. Good point… but I couldn't risk blowing my cover, anyway. I'm just glad Nad- I mean, 'Radio', was able to keep quiet."

"Oh, my gosh! Radio!" Rudy gasped, running toward where Radio had been lying. He froze in his footsteps next to Lilly, who was also staring in disbelief at who lay in her place.

"By the stars…" Lilly whispered. "I've never seen anything like THIS before…"

"What is it?" Danny asked as he and the others ran over.

Lying before them, covered by a jacket, was a girl about 14 with light-brown, short, choppy hair, light skin, wearing completely nothing (for this, everyone was glad the jacket was long enough to cover her body). Rudy slowly approached, and the girl groaned, making him pause as he watched her stretch and sit up, the jacket sliding downward and revealing her flat chest. "Huh, boy," Silver said, quickly covering Jimmy's eyes, while Chrys covered Chris' and Izzy covered Danny's.

But Rudy didn't look at her chest, but her face… namely her bright-green eyes as they fluttered open and she looked at him. "Talk about your cat-naps…" she said as she stretched, then froze, noticing her human hands, legs… and bare chest, which she quickly covered. "Oh, my gosh… I'm… I'm…"

"I'm experiencing déjà vu." Silver said.

Rudy knelt down in front of the girl, eyes wide and hands shaking. "Radio… is… is it r-really… you?" he asked, reaching his hand out, biting his bottom lip.

The girl smiled, and gently grabbed his hand. "Yes, Rudolph, it is I… but my name is not Radio now that I am human."

"What is it, then?" Danny asked.

"It is Pri-"

"Princess Nadine Juliet Tianavine of Mandonia," Izzy cut in, her tone proud. Everyone looked at her, arching an eyebrow. "Eh heh… I met her during my case on Silver."

"Apparently, Silver and I happened to be cursed by the same sorcerer." she looked at Rudy and Danny. "The only way my curse could be broken was if a boy pure of heart were to kiss me. …Originally, the spell was actually meant for a prince to break the spell, but the sorcerer figured that, the way humanity is today, the 'pure of heart' boy would be hard to find." she smiled at Rudy. "It took 200 years, but I finally found him." she smiled at Danny next. "Two of them. Thank you boys."

"I believe all the credit should go to Rudy," Danny said, wrapping his arm around Rudy's shoulder. "He was the one who kissed you and broke the spell."

Rudy smiled, blushing. "Heh heh… it was nothing," he said, giggling.

"Now, um, if you boys wouldn't mind, could you do me one more favor?" the princess asked.

"Yes, what is it?" Danny replied.

She pulled her legs up, keeping the jacket pressed to herself. "Could you find me some decent clothes to wear?"

**0o0o0o0o0**

Everyone went back to Jacque's castle, rounding up the guards who worked for the madman (all the while finding Ra- I mean, 'Nadine', some clothes to wear). By dawn, they were driving back home, escorted by the Pent Tower guards. "Now that we've gotten all that settled, I've got a couple new cases for you Detective, if you're willing to take them," the warden said to Izzy as they drove.

"What cases would they be?" Izzy asked.

"First case, hunting down this sorcerer who has placed your comrades under unnecessary curses- save Silver, who I believe deserved his."

Silver scoffed. "Not my fault the guy showed up at my place as a salesman," he muttered.

"The second case, tracking down Anthony Putsenbutes. Apparently, he not only disappeared mysteriously, but his license to hunt monsters clearly expired a century ago."

"Hey, if you catch them, bring them to us first," Jimmy said, pounding his fist into his palm. "I want to get back at Anthony for clawing my face up,"

"And I'd be grateful if you let me pound that sorcerer who cursed me," Silver added.

"Oh, c'mon, Jimmy… You have to admit, if Silver wasn't cursed in the first place, you two would never have met," Rudy said.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, you're starting to sound like Lilly!" he scoffed… then froze, looking around. "Wait a minute… where IS Lilly?"

"Don't worry… I have a feeling she's in a better place, now." Nadine said.

**0o0o0o0o0**

_Lilly watched from the clouds, smiling as she saw Jimmy and Silver walk by, standing close together like a father and son should. "See, Jimmy? I TOLD you he loved you as a son…" she said, her smile widening. "I'm just glad you learned to love him the same way."_

"_Hey, Lilly, are you coming? Your parents are waiting!" Thomas asked her, standing beside her._

_She smiled at him, and looked up at Heaven's light as it shined on her. "Yes… I'm ready." She spread her wings, and flew up into the light, toward Heaven's gates, where she saw her family waiting for her on the other side._

'_Momma… I'm home.' she thought, as a tear rolled out of her eye and down her smiling face._

**0o0o0o0o0**

A/N: I can never resist giving my characters a happy ending.

(closes eyes while clenching fists) C'mon, c'mon, big reviews, big reviews, no flamy no flamy STOP!

…lol.


	29. Chapter 29: Mental Diaries, ReWritten

Well, here's the finally to Rudy, Danny, and Jimmy's life-changing experience. Hope you enjoy it!

_Reviewer thanks_

Fangface the second: Man, I'm inspiring you left and right! Lol just kidding. I hope to read your story someday :)

Starspring: I can't believe it's finally over, too! Being happy and sad is the perfect way to feel during a happy ending, so that gives me a boost of confidence :D …But I used a cliché? Darn it! Lol oh well. I'm glad you liked it, and thank you so much.

Thanks to all of you who have read my story, and now I shall reward you all with the next chapter!

0o0o0o0o0

**Rudy's POV**

I'm not your average boy. My best friend is a girl who used to be a talking cat. I've made other friends, like a juvenile delinquent who's guardian is a prince who used to be a werewolf, an ex-vampire who's a detective, and a runaway prince who I took in, got kidnapped with, kissed (twice if you count the CPR moment), and saved from a maniacal madman.

If you caught the 'kiss' part and are confused, let me clarify by admitting that I'm gay. I know some of you probably think it's wrong and think of me as an abomination, like how the twins did, but I don't care. I have friends who accept me, and I know God still loves me despite of it, and thanks to all of them I'm not afraid to admit it anymore.

And now, one of my friends, Danny, are living with me.

Allow me to explain. After we got home, we told my parents that we were kidnapped by Jacque, who was a sick-minded criminal who kidnapped children and kills them. It was only half-true, but we figured they would never believe us if we told them the WHOLE truth, containing monsters, spells, ghosts, and all the other crazy stuff we encountered. We added that, before he could kill us, Chris and Chrys happened to be passing by in search for me and Danny, and Jacque was too distracted by their sudden appearance that he didn't notice a hunter (aka Silver) walking behind him, and knocked out the madman, then we called the police.

Mom and Dad questioned why they had never heard of Jacque before on the news, and Danny told them that police never believed the people who told them about Jacque, thinking they were making everything up. They asked them why he knew this, and he told them how Jacque killed his parents when they tried to defend him, and how he ran away and met me. We told them that the police in town wouldn't believe us, and Danny said that's how he came up with his theory. My parents immediately called up the police and made several complaints, telling them that they should investigate before thinking a couple of kids were 'crying wolf'.

After finding out Danny was an orphan, my parents decided to help search for any living relatives he may have. "Until then, you can stay with us." my mom suggested.

I had to keep myself from squealing with joy when Danny said, "I would love to"… while he looked at me!

A small squeal did escape my throat, though, when Mom and Dad chewed out the twins for not being responsible and letting me take off with a total stranger and end up in this whole mess. But, having to be loving even to my heart-less siblings, I stepped in and told my parents that I didn't tell the twins where I was going or with who, and that they practically stopped Jacque from killing us.

We were still grounded for two weeks… but, at least they quit beating me up. Maybe they had a change of heart, or maybe they were afraid I'd rat them out now that I wasn't intimidated by them anymore. Either way, things are going smooth between us now. (I just hope it'll last).

0o0o0o0o0

I was glad that I was rid of Jacque once and for all.

I was glad that Rudy's parents prodded the police into doing some investigating to find my long-lost relative… wherever or whoever they may be.

I'm glad I'm too young to rule, I won't be moving back into a castle until I'm 21! (or until my relative is found).

And, I was glad I was living with Rudy until they were found- living in a normal house with a regular family, with the simple luxuries rather than the ones I had back in my old castle. Plus, I started going to a real school, so I finally had a chance to be a regular kid for once!

Though, every once in a while when I'm lying awake at night, I can't help but think about my parents, and how much I miss them. But, my sorrow disappears when I think about the good times we had- when they weren't so busy- and how their deaths have been avenged now that Jacque is dead and gone, and how they're not gone but watching over me.

Like how they've been doing throughout my whole journey.

"Good night, Mom and Dad," I whisper each night when I begin to fall asleep. I look over at Rudy, who is asleep next to me, and I can't help but smile. If it wasn't for him or 'Nadine', none of this would have happened.

I shut my eyes, feeling more satisfied than I ever felt in years.

0o0o0o0o0

**Jimmy's POV**

I didn't ask to be sent to a different prison, rather than some troll-guy. I didn't ask for the prison to be filled with supernatural creatures that only exist in movies, books, and people's nightmares. I didn't ask to share a cell with a cynical werewolf, with the ghost of a little girl always visiting me. I didn't ask to get involved with his plans for escape. I didn't ask for some heart-racing, mind-boggling, life-or-death adventure that would lead to me finding out things about my late-mom that I would never- in a million years- ever imagine.

…But, as if fate has it in for me, I got it all anyway.

The result? I got a new life, and it's a heck of a lot better than I had before.

Thanks to my new foster-dad, Jonathan Long, (or, as friends call him, 'Silver'), I went from being a wanted-criminal who lived on the streets of a ghetto town filled with cops who get a kick out of kicking my ass… to a regular kid living in a middle-class neighborhood in a classy-looking house. And it totally beats sleeping in a jail-cell.

How did we get a house? Well, thanks to a little detective help from Izzy, we managed to uncover Silver's serial number, personal identification card, driver's license, social security number and several other legal documents that would verify that he was a prince. Once we gave the information to the bank in his old hometown, they gave him an insurance-check for the damages on his castle… which, as it turns out, was burned down by the mob. I'd like to brag about how much the check was, but I like to keep people guessing. Lets just say it was enough to afford a new home for us in a new town, get me in school, and buy ourselves a few things that neither of us could afford (and which I would steal on a regular basis to get by back in the slums) …and to pay Izzy for her services.

We never saw Izzy after that, or the warden- probably somewhere nabbing some crook, or another guy who was framed, or some other kid who looks like a mythical creature. But, I don't really care whether I ever see them again or not… just as long as I'm not seeing them from the inside of a jail-cell.

I see those other two guys, Rudy and Danny, once in a while in the neighborhood, and even in school. We hang out every so often, talk about guy-stuff, play videogames… you know, things a group of friends normally do.

Yeah, you heard me- I have _friends. _And I suggest you don't mess with them, unless you want an express-visit to the hospital's emergency room.

I think about Lilly sometimes, too. I kind of miss her, and often look up at the stars, wondering how she's doing in Heaven, and how she feels to be around her family again… and if she's met my mom. Yeah, yeah, call me sappy, but a kid like Lilly can leave a mark in your life once she leaves it.

I'd go on about what's different about my life now, but in case you haven't noticed, I have a life to get to, and I don't want to waste it blabbing to you so you can have something interesting to think about during your regular doldrums. So, see ya!

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: **THE END! **…Now, click the little button that says 'review' =) Click the little button that says 'flame'… can't find it, can you? XD

(Answers to the characters' fairytale references will be given next)


	30. Answers

**Here are the answers to what fairytale our characters represent. (Note: If you are still reading the story, I suggest you turn back now to spare yourself the spoilers),**

Rudy Homes: _Cinderella. _He's a kid who is always antagonized by his two siblings, and had to wear a disguise to go to a party. The only differences are that in the original fairytale, Cinderella had _step_-sisters, plus an evil stepmother, and was- of course- a girl. Rudy is blood-related to his evil siblings, and has two loving parents… and is a boy.

Danny Charmm: _Snow White. _It's pretty obvious in the first few chapters. He's the most hansom boy in the story, is very caring, and had to run away when Jacque's came after him, plus he mentions having a relative with the last name, "White", then there's the whole "poison apple" scene. He's more of a sequel to the original fairytale, since his mother was no doubt Snow White herself. Only difference is that he didn't live with 7 dwarves.

Jimmy Krook: _Beauty and the Beast _plus _Treasure Planet. _(Okay, so Treasure Planet isn't really a fairytale. :p But as I wrote up Jimmy's character, he resembled Jim Hawkins, so I had to put that in). He's a trouble-maker, who lost his mom and was abandoned by his step-dad. Like Jim Hawkins, he's a rebel with an attitude, but deep down inside it was a cover-up for his sorrow for his late-mother, and actually needed parental guidance. Like Danny, he's more of a fairytale sequel- his mother was the real "Belle" of the story, and he was her offspring, who did what his mother was unable to do and broke the spell. The only difference between him and the original stories: 1) Unlike Hawkins, he never set foot on a ship. 2) He never went to an enchanted castle… Actually, he went to jail. Plus, he's an orphan.

Radio, aka Princess Nadine: _Princess and the Frog. _She's a talking cat, who is under a spell that can only be broken by a kiss from someone with a pure heart. As you can easily tell, the only difference between her and the original fairytale is that she's been turned into a cat (not a frog), and doesn't need a kiss from a prince.

Silver: _Beauty and the Beast _plus _Treasure Planet. _He's a werewolf, who is actually a prince under a curse, though Jimmy doubts it, thinking he "ripped off a Disney movie", and refuses to trust him, but as the story goes on he becomes a father-figure to Jimmy (like how Silver in the original movie became one for Hawkins). His story is more of a "what if?" scenario of the original _Beauty and the Beast _fairytale, where he is separated from his love before they have a chance to break the spell, though years later Jimmy does what his mother couldn't and breaks the spell. The main differences are: 1) There was no mention of an enchanted rose. 2) His servants were monsters like him, not talking furniture items. 3) The spell could be broken anytime, not before he turned 21. 4) He's not a pirate.

Lilly: _Beauty and the Beast. _She's a loving ghost-girl who wants to find Heaven's Light and be reunited with her family, though in the meantime she spends time with Silver and helps the three boys out on their journey. The reason I put her under this fairytale is that, in a way, she reminds me of Chip (from the movie), and seems to be under a curse of her own- until she helps someone succeed, she'll never pass on.

Chris and Chrys Homes: _Cinderella. _They have the roles of the wicked step-sisters… only, they're related to Rudy, and Chris is- of course- a boy. Unlike the fairytale, they're actually twins, and abuse Rudy (rather than make him do their chores) when their parents aren't around. There's a bit of a similarity to the fairytale as the story goes on, when Chrys starts to resemble Anastasia (the 'good' step-sister) when she shows concern for Rudy, while Chris resembles Priscilla (the 'bad' step-sister) by caring more about his own skin. They both change from being wicked siblings by the end of the story, which is the major difference between them and the original fairytale.

Jacque Custoe: _Snow White. _He's an evil madman bent on destroying Danny so he can take over the throne. Like Danny, he's also a 'sequel' to the original fairytale, being the son of the Evil Queen, and seeking to avenge her death and take over the kingdom that he believes 'is rightfully theirs', and even takes custody of her magic mirror. Difference: he has several henchmen, never disguised himself, and is French.

Izzy: _Beauty and the Beast. _She's an old servant of Silver's, who was turned into a vampire when the spell was cast. There are several differences between her and the fairytale, but the three main ones would be: 1) She's a detective, working for Pent Towers. 2) She's an undercover agent, working for Jacque. 3) She barely represents anyone from the original fairytale. :p

Warden. Amelia Smollet: _Treasure Planet. _She runs Pent Towers and is a strict authority figure (which is why I named her after the original Amelia Smollet :D). The difference is, while the original Smollet was a ship's captain and a feline humanoid, she's a prison warden who's a kretin, and doesn't end up having a romantic interest in anyone.

Anthony Putsenbutes: _Puss in Boots. _He's a cat-creature and professional monster-hunter. Only difference is that he has the role of a bad guy.

Starspring: _The Little Mermaid. _She's a mermaid princess who lives in a river. Differences: unlike the original fairytale AND Disney-movie, she doesn't end up committing suicide (fairytale) or turning human and marrying a prince (movie)… Plus, she's actually an author.

Ace and Meds: …These guys don't really represent any fairytales, although Meds represents the Greek monster Medusa.


End file.
